Crash
by ellamariexx
Summary: After a devastating plane crash, the passengers of flight 190 find themselves on a deserted island...or so they think. EdxWin
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

The day old coffee tasted like stale grinds and dirty water but it got the job done...he was awake. His old truck thundered down the road, allowing him to effectively cut his travel time in half as well as commit at least five traffic violations. He could almost hear his brother's voice warning him to get an early start, but knowing and doing are two very different things. Glancing at the dashboard clock he tried to remember if he had packed what he needed and shut everything down at his apartment before leaving. Oh well, not like there was anything of real value to be worried about. Poor Mrs. Evers next door might not appreciate the bag of garbage he left outside his door but nothing he could do about that now; he needed to be on this flight.

After finding a parking spot and spending two hours trying to figure out what line he was supposed to be in he got his first real taste of airport hospitality. Grumbling to himself with impatience he glared at the security team that pulled him to the side. He had already been in line for about an hour and he was already cutting it close to his departure time. Maybe this was some kind of equivalent exchange for his binge the night before. There was no doubt that someone was having a good laugh at his expense because at this rate he was not only going to lose his dignity but his place on flight 190.

A man from airport security gave him a once over, his face a stern calculation of responsibility and purpose. While that should have been a comfort, honestly, Edward thought the man took his job a little too seriously. What was he going to do; take the plane down with telekinesis? At this point all he had was a small carry-on bag with only the essentials and the clothes on his back…real threatening.

"You're all set sir."

He nodded his head, "Yeah…thanks."

So much for being random, he had gotten pulled aside nearly every time he flew, which back in his military days had been quite a lot. You would think they might have some respect for someone in uniform, ungrateful bastards.

He made sure to grab his passport and ticket back, he was not about to let himself get sidetracked now. Still irritated by the long lines and suspicious glares he rushed off, grateful to escape the cramped and crowded lines. His gaze shifted down as he tried to stuff his passport back into his case. Still moving forward, he didn't pay much attention to those around him.

A small cry emitted from the person in front of him as they collided. He stumbled backwards, regaining his balance after a few seconds.

This was why he was going to boycott airports in the future. Here he was just minding his own business when some mindless bastard had the nerve to run into him. Fixing to exchange either blunt words or force he turned to glare at them. His initial anger at the stranger began to pool in his stomach along with a growing sense of shame. A young girl with waist length blond hair was making a face as she surveyed the contents of her purse sprawled across the floor. Her expression twitched in frustration as she bent forward to pick them up.

He felt like a real dick. Kneeling next to her he scrambled to help her. "Wow, I'm real sorry about that."

She still hadn't glanced up, continuing to try and piece her purse back together. Her hands frantically grabbed at items, her voice a breathless rush. "Don't be sorry, I wasn't exactly paying much attention."

When she was done collecting everything, Edward offered her his hand. She gave him a half moon smile and took his offered hand. His chest constricted as he pulled her up, she had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. They stood in silence for a moment before he watched her cheeks slowly growing red. Stupid, why did he have to stare like that.

A knowing smile pulled up the corner of her lips. "Thanks for helping."

He returned her smile, wishing he had better words than those that were about to leave his mouth. "Yeah, not a big deal."

Pushing her bag back on her shoulder she grabbed her suitcase in her other hand and paused her mouth opening again. A man with a loud suitcase rattled by them, distracting her and effectively ending their conversation for them. With a small wave the girl turned and rushed off in the direction she had been headed.

Edward dropped his chin, a bemused grin stuck on his face. He could have charmed her, said some lines to make her laugh. Then again the chances of him seeing her were slim to none and pretending that people bumping into each other was some kind of classic opportunity from fate wasn't realistic. His younger brother had the kind of outward charisma that drew people in; he could imagine that blonde girl pausing long enough to get a name and number. Fate like that worked for people like his brother, not for him.

Checking the time on his watch he shrank in annoyance. Shit.

Staring at the sign above him, he scanned for his gate number and any possibility of a direction that might be helpful. Whoever designed airport terminals was obviously never late a day in their lives. Making a face he finally began to head in the right direction. He really didn't need to look to see that his bad luck was still on track; his gate was positioned at the very end of the terminal.

The bland murmur of announcers echoed throughout the terminal as idle chatter kept pace with the sound of his running steps. Feeling out of breath and irritated, he slowed as the waiting space for his gate came into view. The waiting area was already crowded with people and practically all of the chairs were either claimed or taken. Frowning, he paced the space for a moment; his eyes scanning the faces of the waiting room. Now, where was that brother of his?

Looking around, his eyes finally spied the younger Elric. Alphonse was surrounded by a group of kids. The group was staring intently at his brother; completely absorbed in the picture book he was reading. If there was one thing the brothers didn't have in common, it was patience and probably interest in the human species. Edward stomped over to where his brother sat, not caring if he looked childish in his manners.

The sarcasm dripped from his voice. "Hey Al, thanks for saving me a seat."

Alphonse looked up, startled by the tone of his brother's voice. "Brother!" He chuckled quietly. "I wasn't sure you would make it."

Edward huffed indignantly, "Yeah, well I would have been on time but the damn security held me up for over an hour."

His brother raised an eyebrow as he set down the book, causing the kids to groan in disappointment. " _Of course_ it takes that long. You're the one who travels all the time, how did you forget? In fact I came here four hours in advance."

His brother had an annoying habit of always being right. He knew deep down that he should have arrived earlier, but that didn't stop him from glaring at his brother. "Yeah well some of us don't have the luxury of time." He left out the part about drinking himself into a coma the night before and not waking up to his alarm.

He jerked his head towards the kids. It wasn't surprising that they seemed to have already taken a dislike to him. "Where'd you pick up all the strays?"

Alphonse looked a tad sheepish.

Ed pinched the bridge of his nose, not at all happy with the puppy dog look appearing on Al's face. "You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking."

Al shook his head, his eyes filled with innocence. "Relax Ed, I just thought I could help them pass the time."

Edward gave him an exasperated look as the kids got bored with waiting on Al to pick up the book. It didn't take long for the little runts to discover a new distraction as they ran along each aisle of chairs chasing one another.

Taking this as a stroke of good luck he stole one of the kids previously occupied seats, settling in for a nap. Propping his red coat over his face he tried to block out the noise and light. "Wake me when the airlines decide to do their job and get us the hell out of here." He muttered loud enough for just his brother to hear.

Alphonse might have agreed but he was too busy trying to ignore the rest of the waiting room occupants. Keeping his eyes closed he swallowed back the awful taste in his mouth and tried to sleep. His brother began humming some sort of happy tune while a lady with heels seemed determined to tap River-dance. Ed took a breath, forcing himself to try and block it out. Across from him someone began flicking away at a keyboard accompanied by a rather brash and booming laugh of a man having entirely too much fun. He was about to throw his coat off and make a scene when the sound of a familiar sigh grabbed his attention. The same person took the seat next to him, why did that noise sound so familiar?

She sounded flustered and a little shy as she spoke over him towards his brother.

"Excuse me; is this the gate for flight 190 to LA?"

He didn't have to look to know Al was probably beaming, his brother loved helping people. Al had the gift of conversation and good manners. His natural magnetism for animals and kids along with his kind nature captured the fancy of many females.

"Yes it is. First time flying?"

She laughed, "Am I that obvious?"

He laughed lightly. "You're too polite to have flown much. My name is Alphonse." He poked Edward with his elbow, "And this is my older brother Edward."

She laughed lightly as Edward grumbled in annoyance at the jab to his side.

"Winry." She said.

Deciding his quest for sleep had ended, he pulled his jacket off his face. His eyebrows shot up as he registered her familiar voice with that of the woman he had run into earlier. The two continued to stare at each other long enough that Al noticed something was up.

"Do you two know each other?" He asked with an air of amusement.

Winry laughed, a small smirk resting on her lips. "I guess you could say we've _bumped_ into each other before."

Edward just continued to stare, pretty and funny. Now if only he could think of something smart to say. Before he could attempt at a conversation, a lady came over the loudspeaker. "Boarding, all first class and priority seating for flight 190."

Al caught his eye while Winry's head turned. He gave his brother a small wink before tilting his head towards the beautiful blonde. It wasn't a secret that he didn't date much, but Al's constant efforts to change that were occurring far too often for his liking. Something about softening him up and making him into a family man…as if a girl could have that big of an impact on him. Genetics predicted he just might turn out a bastard like his father so the idea of having a family of his own didn't look promising. His younger brother was a different story, Alphonse could have a family, could love the people he cared about in the way that they should be loved.

Winry interrupted his thoughts. "It's nice to know there are still good people out there. You wouldn't believe the day I've had."

The light shining through the glass wall caught her eyes rendering him speechless for a moment. Did all blue eyes look like that? Had he been oblivious or was this a special case?

"I believe it." He agreed but it wasn't just today, for him he had been racking up shitty days for years.

He noticed that Al was hiding behind a book, clever kid. Guess he was on his own with this one.

Feeling curious he decided conversation would at least pass the time. "So what's in LA?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I was offered a job."

A girl picking up and moving for a job, she was becoming more and more interesting to him. "What's your profession?"

She grabbed her purse, pulling from it an ID card. Next to her small picture, in small black print, was the name Dr. Rockbell M.D.

He whistled softly, "Wow, shouldn't you be riding first class?"

She laughed, her face lighting up. "Why ride first class when I can be crammed between two people I don't know with my knees riding up into my chest?"

He relaxed feeling more at ease as he laughed at her joke. Smirking, he raised his eyebrows at her. "Really, why ride with us poor folk?"

Winry's expression turned serious, "The job pays well but I haven't been an paid employee for that long. I worked in a garage to pay for necessities while I was in school but it certainly didn't pay for med school. I just finished paying off my student loans last month."

He never saw that one coming. "You worked in a garage, like on cars?"

She frowned. "Yes. Why is that so hard for people to believe?"

Edward gave her a once over, from her delicate figure to her lustrous blond hair, "Oh…no reason."

The lady came back over the loudspeaker, "Boarding, all passengers for flight 190."

Al hit his brother on the back gallantly, "That's us!"

Winry gathered up her belongings before extending out her hand to Edward. "Well it was nice to meet you."

His hand lingered on hers, "You too."

She waved at Al and stole one last look at Edward before walking towards the line, her suitcase trailing behind her.

Al chuckled softly, "Nice one brother." He mocked him in a girlish voice, "_You too_!"

Edward rolled his eyes, "Very funny Al, laugh it up."

Boarding the plane Ed was painfully reminded of his previous irritations. The crowded isle was filled with people either looking helplessly for seats, that were _clearly _marked, or people trying to force their over-sized carry-ons into the small overhead compartments. He shook his head, oh happy day.

Alphonse beamed behind him as they made their way through first class seating towards the back of the plane. Despite them having bought their tickets together Ed knew he would be separated from his brother. At this point all he could hope for was a nice window seat to fall asleep against or at least an aisle seat to stretch his legs.

His mouth dropped open as Al found his seat. How the hell did his brother score not only a window seat but a rather attractive girl with brown and pink hair who happily took up the seat next to him? Lucky bastard. At this rate he wouldn't be surprised if he had the middle seat between two kids. What he didn't expect was the window seat that awaited him. He doubled checked his ticket before carefully stowing his bag and easing into the stiff seat. Closing his eyes he leaned his head back.

"Edward?"

He opened his eyes to the now familiar female voice. She pushed the blond hair out of her face as she stared him down. He gave her an odd look.

She glanced at her ticket once, twice, before grinning.

He sat there like an idiot; speaking had suddenly become foreign to him. Of all the flights she could have been on and of all the seats she could have gotten, there was no way she was unlucky enough to be seated next to him. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Excuse me?"

Rubbing his palm over his face he attempted to redeem himself. "Sorry, small world huh?"

She waved his hands away as he tried to stand up and help her with her bag. "Small world." She agreed.

Not sure what else to say he tried to ignore the pending awkward atmosphere and decided to feign sleep for the rest of the flight. It wasn't until the engines started that he finally relented and opened his eyes. Stealing a glance at Winry he frowned. Her face had turned a shade whiter than the last time her had seen her. Not only that but she quickly buckled her seat belt before grasping her hands together tightly on her lap.

It was all the telltale signs. "Nervous?" He asked feeling sorry for her.

She opened her eyes, "No, not nervous." Her lips pressed together for a moment before she gave him a helpless look, "Terrified."

Not really sure what to he ended up giving her an awkward pat on her hand. "It's not that bad, I promise."

If she minded his touch she didn't show it.

Reluctantly he pulled his hand back as the Stewardess instructed them to fasten their seat belts.

"Hello folks and welcome to Amestris Airlines. My name is Riza Hawkeye and I will be your flight instructor for today."

Edward rolled his eyes as she went into deep and rather strict instructions on what they should do if something bad happens. He tried to give Winry a reassuring smile with the sympathetic understanding that this was clearly her first time flying. Her eyes were trained on the woman speaking as if her life depended on it and like every new passenger she looked nervously at the compartment above them were they were instructed to receive oxygen masks should the need arise.

Finally a deeper male voice came over the speaker. "Hello folks, this is your pilot Roy Mustang speaking."

Edward didn't listen to the rest of his speech, the guy sounded pretty conceited and he seriously was not looking for a preview of the flight to come or what kind of weather they should be expecting.

He could feel Winry tense in the seat next to him as the plane began to move. She leaned her head back, closing her eyes and letting out a shaky breath.

He spied the man next to her take notice as he stopped cooing at his wife and daughter across the aisle long enough to observe Winry's nerves take over. He patted her gently on the shoulder in a way that made Edward feel sincerely inadequate for his awkward pat to her hand.

"Don't worry." He motioned towards his wife and daughter as Winry opened her eyes. "It's their first time flying too. Really, it's not as bad as you think."

Winry gave him a small, forced smile. "Thanks, I think I'll feel better once we've landed."

The man put out his hand, "Dear that's how everyone feels. I'm Maes Hughes."

She took his hand looking grateful for the distraction, "Winry Rockbell." She stole a glance at Edward letting him decide if he wanted to partake in their conversation.

Feeling obligated, Edward reached forward accepting the man's hand. "Edward Elric."

Hughes smiled brilliantly, "If I might say, you two make a very handsome couple. Why, I remember when I first met Gracia…it was over six years ago…"

The woman across the aisle sighed in happy exasperation. "Maes, I'm sure these young people don't want to hear about such things."

Edward hoped his face didn't show the burning that he felt. "We-I mean she and I…well we aren't-we aren't…"

Winry waved a hand in front of her, a smile on her face. "Oh no, we just met today."

Maes looked crestfallen for a second before his smile returned, "Well that's too bad but this flight is long enough…something to think about eh?"

From there he continued on with his original story as if he had never been interrupted. Maes went on to explain his first meeting with his wife not excluding a single detail because everyone would be at a loss if they didn't know what they were wearing or what the weather was.

The plane began to shake as the wheels picked up speed, the airplane trying to take off. Maes began to shove pictures in their faces but it didn't bother Ed. The distraction had taken her attention and he relieved to see that a normal color had returned to her face as she smiled at the pictures.

Once the plane stabilized he saw someone's foot collide with Mae's chair. "Yo Hughes, would ya knock it off?"

Maes didn't look disturbed in the least; he leaned over towards Winry and Edward. "Oh don't mind Havoc, he's just being obstinate."

The man behind him grumbled in response. "Yeah, well you would be too if you couldn't smoke for 6 _whole_ hours." He glared at the no smoking sign, "Stupid addiction."

Ed was about to agree when he saw Winry turn towards Hughes. "Thanks for distracting me."

He winked at her, "Not a problem."

Winry shifted her gaze to Edward as Hughes turned back to cooing at his wife and daughter. She turned the air vent off her before clearing her throat. "So…I've told you why I'm heading to LA. What's there for you?"

He should have probably seen this one coming. In all fairness he could have lied and said something that would make her laugh, or make him out to be intelligent or respectable, but he figured the truth would be easier in the long run.

"My father passed away, the funeral is in two days from now."

Her curious smile faltered as her hand flew to her mouth, "Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss."

He shook off her apology, "Don't feel bad, we really didn't know him that well. I guess we just thought we should at least pay our respects and follow his final wishes."

She made the same face as most people made when he tried to explain his situation. Honestly he could really give two shits about the guy, he just felt that he owed it to his mother and that was reason enough. She would have wanted them to forgive him in the end and while he wasn't sure he could ever forgive the guy, he could at least say a proper goodbye.

A yawn suddenly stole across his face as he rubbed his the sleep from his eyes. Winry looked him over her eyes growing concerned for a second. Then as the seat belt sign went off she stood up and grabbed something out of the overhead compartment.

Her faced glowed as she handed him down a pillow. "Here."

The list grew longer and longer every second he spent with her. Beautiful, funny, smart, hardworking, and kind. Why did she not have a ring on her finger?

Another yawn crossed his face, "Thanks."

Within seconds after his head hit the pillow he was out cold.

A sudden lurching jerked him from his slumber. Blearily he opened his eyes; the sounds of concerned voices filled the cabin. But none of that registered to him, his attention was momentarily taken by the blond head that had taken to his shoulder. He smiled; she must have fallen asleep on his shoulder.

The plane lurched again, this time the entire cabin trembled enough to wake the girl next to him up. Winry rubbed her eyes before turning a bright red at where she had fallen asleep. He saw an embarrassed apology linger on her lips, but fear took her features as the plane shuddered violently. Panicked cries filled the cabin and Edward felt his adrenaline rise up.

The plane continued to tremble as the oxygen masks dropped down in front of them. Edward froze, his mind whirling. They couldn't be…

Winry who had already secured her own mask quickly pulled one over his face. Good thing she had at least paid attention.

Shock still filled his body as the front of the plane turned down. He didn't need to look out the window to see what was happening.

Edward never heard the words over the loudspeaker or the continued cries of fear.

Turning, he gazed into blue eyes before he let his hand search for hers.

She responded to his silent plea for comfort, for human contact. Her lips trembled but she didn't cry.

If your life was supposed to flash in front of your eyes before you died…why was he content to just stare into her beautiful blue ones? All his preconceived notions of the moments before death had been lies. Well, it didn't matter much now.

Stupid fate, guess he shouldn't have been so mad at it. For as much as he had badmouthed the thing, it had tried to slow him down, tried to stop him from making this flight. And it couldn't be all bad could it?

After all, it had at least given him an angel to sit next to as he waited for death.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

If someone told you that you were going to die there are a few different things that might run through your head. Perhaps you might wish the ones you loved a final farewell, maybe even do something you had always wanted to do. This all depends on how much time you have been given. If Winry could estimate such a time…she figured she had about a minute left of this terrifying fall before her time was up.

The morbid curiosity of her mind wondered vaguely if it was going to hurt. She stared into Edwards eyes, wishing the rest could all fade away. As her fate raced up to meet her, she decided the best way to die was to concentrate her thoughts on all the good things in her life, things she wanted to remember. Her eyes shut to the horrors around her as she tried to find some peace of mind. That seemed like the right thing to do in this situation.

Even without opening her eyes, Edwards face found itself tangled in her thoughts. She grasped onto his hand tighter then before as she heard the screeching of metal and the ripping of bolts from their rightful places.

Screams of horror, pleas of mercy, and the never-ending shrill of the wind filled the air. Her jaw quivered as the idea of dying began to terrify her. The plane was split into two and with a crazed moment of curiosity she opened her eyes to see the white of sand rushing towards them. They were about to hit land, she braced for the impact. She braced for her last breath.

Edward tightened his grip.

She wasn't sure if there was a place after death, but if there was, she hoped she would meet him there. The comfort he gave her while they plummeted to their death was merciful and kind. She replayed Edward's words through her head allowing the tone of his voice in her mind to sooth her, "It's not that bad, I promise, it's not that bad, I promise, it's not that bad I promise…"

Gravity claimed its victory as the tail end of the plane hit, skidding across the shoreline. The metal body moaned in distraught as it dug into the land. The plane finally found its rest at the edge of the jungle like brush. The turning of the engines filled the air with an earsplitting screech as they faltered in their motion. The void left as the turbines quit spinning was easily replaced with the sounds of screaming.

Wait, was she really alive?

It took Winry several minutes before she snapped out of her shock. A trickle of blood flowed down from her scalp, turning a salty taste bud as it came to rest upon her lips. Her breath came out in short gasps as she quickly fumbled to pull the oxygen mask from her face. She kept her right hand clutched in his as she used her other hand to quickly pull the mask from her face. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. That thought proved impossible as a tremendous rush of fear took over her.

The hand which had firmly grasped hers was now limp.

Shaking, she tried to focus as she unbuckled her lap belt. One glance at Edward pulled at years of experience in the medical field. She moved quickly, her emotions put on the back burner. Her hands undid his buckle as she removed his mask.

Please let him be ok.

If she should find herself in the midst of a nightmare, she needed him to stay with her. She knew it was childish, but she needed someone to hold her hand, she didn't want to do this alone.

His eyes were closed, but after a quick check she felt relief flood through her. There was no doubt that he had a pulse. Standing up, her mouth dropped open in horror. The seat in front of her had hidden the damage, while her fear for Edward had concealed the rest. The front part of the plane was nowhere in sight, a wide array of bodies and damaged parts lay around them.

Her mouth sagged open, a wicked panic beginning to set in. She let out a cry of relief as she caught sight of movement; Edward shifted slightly his eyes flying open as he noticed her hand missing from his. His eyes blinked rapidly as he tried to focus on her. Crouching, as best as she could in the small space, she looked deeply into his eyes. "Edward are you alright?"

She expected many reactions, but this was not one of them.

He pulled her into his arms, his face burying itself in her tangled hair. Chills ravaged her skin as he whispered into her hair, "You're alive." A true miracle, all things considered.

The sound of screaming brought her back to reality. Bile rose up in her throat as she turned to see a piece of the plane that had lodged itself through the man next to her. An earsplitting shriek added to the other cries. It wasn't until Edward wrapped his arms around her that she realized it had come from her. She choked out a dry sob as she stared into the man's lifeless eyes. She couldn't even remember his first name. A tremble of sadness shook her, riveting her in place. He was the kind man who had distracted her from her fear, the man who had a wife and a little girl. Her hand shook as she slowly lowered his eyelids. Without Edward's hands on the sides of her arms, gently guiding her forward, she was sure she would have stayed frozen to the spot.

They started to climb through the wreckage towards where the front of the plane should have connected. Winry stopped as her thoughts drifted back towards Mr. Hughes. What had happened to his wife and child? Did they survive the impact? What about the rest of the passengers?

Her heart began to ache as she walked away from them in a daze. Suddenly she felt the urge in her heart overtake her self-preservation. "We need to go back."

Edwards face clenched down in pain, "We _need_ to get out of here."

Winry stubbornly pushed back past him, "Edward, I'm a doctor. I have to go back."

The lines in his face seemed to deepen, "Winry you're bleeding, you need help first."

He was worried about her? He had been the one unconscious when they first hit. "You said it first, I'm alive. They deserve the same chance. What about your brother?"

The man's face contorted as the horror grew, "Jesus, Al."

She grabbed his arm, "I can help."

He didn't waste time leading the way back to the wreckage. They were hardly the only ones walking around, but they seemed to be the only ones grasping at reality.

Quite a few people stirred as she tried to navigate through the nearly demolished structure. A man who was pinned to his seat by several bags caught her foot as she walked by. His eyes pleaded desperately to hers, "…help." He moaned in a hoarse voice.

Winry instantly came closer, her eyes scanning the damage, "Can you move?"

He winced slightly as he shook his head, "I think my legs are broken."

Winry noted that his breathing was uneven, the pressure of the bags effecting his lungs. She was at least thankful that the man could speak rationally with her. She noticed the army uniform as Edward began to help her remove the stray baggage.

Edward stared at the last item, eyeing it carefully. "Colonel we are going to have to move this last piece." He motioned at the leg that was caught under it, twisted at an odd angle. "Prepare yourself."

Winry turned to Edward, how did he know what rank this man was? He didn't seem like the type to be involved with the military.

Edward's voice broke her thoughts. "On the count of three we move. One…two…three!"

The man hissed in pain as they removed the last bag. Winry tried to aid Edward as he hoisted the man over his shoulders. Edward shook his head, "I've got him, you just keep looking for survivors, I'll come back."

Winry gave him what she hoped was an expression of endearment she knew he was anxious to find his brother. Picking her way through some overturned seats she ducked as a piece of the ceiling suddenly fell inches from where she had been standing. As if she needed a reminder of how close to death she had come.

A woman's shriek caught her attention quickly enough, "Someone, please help us!"

Winry strained her eyes to see where the voice had come from. As a doctor, she had seen her share of horrible things. But this was a sight she wished she had never laid eyes on. The bodies of two men had pinned a mother with her daughter to their seats. The woman had her hands over her daughter's eyes, her body shaking as she found herself staring into the lifeless eyes of one of the unlucky passengers. The woman cried out to her again as she tried to escape the stare of the dead. "Please, help us!" The tears began to roll down her face as she cried again for help.

"Hold on!"

Winry fought back the queasiness of her stomach as she rolled the men off of her, the sweat rolling down her face with the effort. The temperature inside the cabin of the plane felt as if it were rising. She examined the two of them with haste. "Can you walk?"

The woman stood shakily to her feet, pulling her daughter up into her arms. She nodded once.

Winry knew the woman was fighting shock, it was best to be forward. "GO! Get out of here!"

The women acted as if she had not heard her words. She stood rooted to the spot, her daughter clutched in her arms. Was it shock?

Winry rushed forward, trying to persuade her to move. "Please miss, you need to get your daughter somewhere safer than this."

The woman bent forward slowly and Winry realized with a gut wrenching ache what had caught her attention. This woman wasn't just any woman; she was the wife of the Hughes man. Closing her eyes shut for a moment Winry cursed herself for not taking notice earlier.

"Please, you must move out of this place…he would want to know you are both safe."

The woman didn't answer as she kissed her still husband on the forehead, all the while keeping her hands firmly pressed over her daughters eyes. Her voice choked on a sob, "Goodbye my love."

With that she turned and stumbled through the wreckage towards safe ground. Winry felt the tears roll down her face as she stood by herself among the dead. It was then that she caught sight of Edward making his way back, he had such beautiful timing. His eyes zeroed in on her tears his hand quickly finding hers. Together they scoured the remaining seats, neither speaking when they came across the dead.

They worked tirelessly and mechanically as if operating on autopilot. Winry had to find some faith in the fact that several passengers were able to free themselves from the wreckage once their shock had passed. She clung to the numbers, not matter how small, with reverence. A part of her knew it could have been worse.

"Oh...no." Her voice caught at the sight. A pregnant woman laid unmoving, her eyes closed. Shaking Winry reached forward, the woman had to be around 8 or nine months pregnant. Who would let someone in her condition fly?

This time she really did get sick as she thought of a life that had been taken away before it had begun. The pale color of her skin would suggest the worst and if the mother was gone she knew there was really no hope for the baby. Falling to her knees she felt the sickness break free. Her body heaved against its will as the tears rolled down her cheeks. It was sick. She didn't understand how someone could let this happen? If there was really a great power above them, how could it watch this kind of suffering?

Her body jumped as she felt someone touch her. Looking over her shoulder she relaxed, Edward was back. He put his hand on the small of her back. "Breathe, just breathe."

Winry wiped at her face before putting her head between her knees. Once the ground stoped moving she was sure she could stifle it. After a few minutes the world righted itself and her doctor instincts came back. "Edward, can you carry her?"

Ed gave her a sympathetic look, "Winry she…"

"Can you carry her?"

He nodded his head and helped her to carry the woman from the plane. Once they had laid her a good distance from the wreckage Winry began to work. She scanned the area for a moment, her eyes taking in just a small portion of the scene. A group of the passengers had flocked together, their attention focused on both her and Edward. It was as if they were looking to them for guidance or perhaps comfort. Winry was more concerned for the pregnant woman in front of her. She glanced around again, "I need some cleaning solution and towels."

The man Winry recognized as Havoc nodded his head, racing off towards the plane. Feeling a faint pulse, Winry bit her lip in decision. "She's still alive." She breathed out in temporary relief.

Maybe there had been someone watching out for them. There was a reason she had survived the crash and now it comforted her to feel as if it were her duty to help fate. She could vaguely make out Edwards voice as he ordered several survivors to continue to help evacuate the wreck. His obvious need to find his brother unbridled against all else.

The woman slowly came to, her eyes swimming in and out of focus. Winry gently held her down, not wanting her to move just yet.

The woman's voice came out chocked and dry as she tried to speak. "Lear? Where is my husband?"

Winry leaned in closer to try and hear her better, "Miss what does your husband look like?"

She swallowed hard, her forehead tensing as she tried to scan the group of people around her. "He's tall, dark hair and he's wearing…he wears glasses."

Edward who had been within hearing distance inclined his head towards Winry. "I'll find him."

All of the sudden the woman's body cringed as a moan escaped her lips. Breathing heavily she grabbed tightly onto Winry's hand.

Feeling faint Winry took a deep breath to settle her nerves, she thought this would happen. The trauma had obviously sent her into early labor. "Just take deep breaths ok. Now how far along are you?"

The woman's eyes grew panicked as she cringed again. "I'm only 8 months, it's too early!" Her eyes grew damp, "He promised he would be here…he promised…"

She tried to distract her, "Can you tell me your name?"

"Sadila."

Winry wasn't an expert on delivery, but she had tried out quite a few areas of medicine before she decided what suited her best. "Sadila, I need you to stay calm for me. Can you do that?"

The woman winced again, but nodded her head in reply. Luckily Havoc returned with the planes first aid kit, several small bottles of alcohol and a bundle of blankets. Winry steadied her shaking hands before getting Sadila in the right position. This baby definitely wanted out and fast. Havoc looked a little pale himself as he watched the amount of blood double.

"Hey, that's an awful lot of blood…"

Sadila looked in extreme pain as her face twitched, "What's happening?"

Winry shot the man beside her an angry glare, her voice hissed out in frustration. "You're not helping her stay calm, if you want to be of help at least hold her hand."

The man appeared thrown off, but did exactly as she instructed. She couldn't help her outburst; the truth of his words had scared her. Sadila was bleeding more than she should have. Her mind whirled around complications, which at the hospital were tough enough, yet alone out in the middle of nowhere. Feeling dazed and unnerved she sat frozen with the lives of a mother and her unborn child in her hands. God, what was she doing?

"SADILA!"

Winry turned to see a man with dark hair and glasses rushing forward, a few scratches and cuts on him, but nothing too serious. His eyes widened with concern and caring as he rushed to her side, replacing Havoc's hand with his.

Edward kneeled by her side, instantly noticing the fear in her eyes. "Winry, you can do this."

Once again he was her voice of reason. Funny she would have never guessed he would fill that role.

Hours later Winry sat exhausted, after cleaning up the small baby boy and his mother. She had already looked at least 20 other passengers, cleaning their wounds and making splints for broken bones. Wearily she leaned against the base of a palm, her head still spinning as darkness began to fall on them.

Edward sat next to her, his face unreadable. "You were brilliant, you know that?"

She tried to smile, but the heaviness in the air hadn't lifted. "I couldn't have done it without you."

It was only a split second but Winry saw the pain that crossed his expression as he sat quietly next to her.

"What's wrong? Well besides the obvious?"

He grimaced and she knew exactly what he was thinking about. It had become the elephant in the corner, the absence of his brother. "I was running late...If I had been on time I would have gotten Al's seat." His head bowed down in shame. "If he's dead…I don't think I'll ever forgive myself."

She didn't believe this was his burden to bear. "You don't know that, if it wasn't for you…I don't believe we would have been able to get a lot of the people out before the plane started to fall apart." She felt heat rise to her cheeks that had nothing to do with the warm climate. "I don't know what I would have done without you here by my side."

His face changed immediately at her confession, his eyes softening. It looked like he was going to say something, but was cut off as one of the other survivors started heading their way. She was a little younger than Winry with short brown hair and camo pants.

Her eyes flashed from Winry to Edward. "We've managed to get everyone out of the plane..." Her features turned down in sorrow, "Everyone we found alive is out. So what do we do next?"

Edward seemed a little flabbergasted, "Why are you asking me?"

She gave him a questioning look, "Well you two are kind of like our leaders, aren't you? What do we do?"

Edward surveyed the area as if taking in the responsibility. "Well until we are rescued, we need to set up camp for the night." His face turned back to the dense jungle behind them with caution. "And we need to stick together."

Winry caught his eye as the girl left to rile up the others. "Just where are we?"

He shook his head, his expression dark. "I have no idea."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry for not putting this out sooner, school has been pretty wicked lately. This chapter has a lot of filler stuff to it, but don't worry the better ones are on their way.

Chapter 3:

Edward stood out by the ocean water, his brow furrowed in distress. He was far enough away from the rest of them that the fires had turned into tiny flickers of light. Staring at the stars reflected in the dark sea, he tried to erase the screams from his memories. The distant sounds of crying were like relieving a nightmare of his past. His eyes scanned the dark blue, as if they could explain what was on his mind. It was then that he noticed it. Ed didn't realize he was walking towards it, until he felt the water hit his feet and slowly rise further and further up. A blurry form began to rise under the surface of the salty water. Curiosity bubbling in his mind, he stepped closer, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. His face drew wide with horror as a paled, motionless face of his brother stared back at him. In no time he was waist deep in the water, racing towards the deathly image. His voice broke out in a hoarse plea, "Al…"

Just as quickly as it had appeared…it was gone. Breathing heavily, Ed stared open mouthed at the scene before him. There was nothing there, nothing at all. Letting out a growl of anger he slammed his fists down into the ocean sending splashes of water in every direction. The lack of sleep must have addled with his brain. It was just a mirage, a waking nightmare. As if he needed to start seeing things like this. Wasn't reality frightening enough as it was?

Looking around, he eyed the intimidating wild with defeat. It was impossible; he had no idea where the hell they had landed. What was taking them so long anyways? The pilot had to have set out a distress call before they crashed. It wasn't as if they had been on a small passenger plane; there had to be several people looking for them. But these thoughts were not nearly as comforting as he imagined they would be. Something was terribly wrong if they had yet to be found…even if it had only been 24 hours. His thoughts traveled to the people who were looking to him for guidance.

Frustration lingered in his veins as he tried to think it all through. How can you put together a puzzle when you don't know what it's supposed to look like? He had no idea where his brother was, he had no idea if he had even survived. To be fair, half the people on their half of the plane hadn't even survived the crash…how were Al's chances any better?

He trudged reluctantly from the cold depths of the unknown sea, his clothes soaking wet.

As he began the trek back he noticed a man, probably around his thirties sitting alone at the edge of the islands thick jungle. Upon further inspection Edward noticed the blade of a knife glint in the dim light as he wielded it along a long piece of wood. He continued to sharpen the end till it made a fine point. Several like it lay in a pile next to him.

If there was one thing Ed had noticed about the survivors, it was that everyone had grouped together. They might not have all congregated in one group, but no one was alone.

This man proved to be an interesting deviant from his theory. His long black hair was slicked back into a ponytail, his white suit tainted with blood and dirt. Edward couldn't quite remember seeing this man on the plane. Once he was about 10 feet away, the man looked up.

His eyes narrowed at his presence. "You're a ways away from camp, it's not safe out here you know."

Edward brushed off his weird tone and offered him what he hoped was a friendly smile because he had a feeling he would want to know a little bit more about him. "The same could be said for you, I'm Ed."

The man didn't smile or return his greeting. "The difference lies in what I have that you don't." His eyes scanned quickly to his weapons before aiming them back on Ed. He held a shrewd and calculating look before he extended his hand. "I am Zolf Kimbley." He continued to stare down his nose at Edward.

Ed needed to keep his cool if he was going to figure this guy out. "What are you doing out here? You know the rest of us have set up camp closer to the wreck. If we are going to be rescued it's probably better to stay as close to the landing site as possible."

Zolf didn't look up as he continued to scrape away at the piece of wood. "So your plan for survival is to sit and wait for rescue?"

Not one to take harsh words with a shrug he tensed up slightly, "What are your plans then? Sitting by yourself out here?" He eyed the jungle carefully.

The thin lines of the man's lips pressed together for a moment as he finished crafting the spearhead of the stick in front of him. "More of a reason to have a lookout." His chin dipped down, his expression darkening, "So many helpless people stranded out here, pretty easy targets." He smirked a little, "I suppose it hasn't occurred to you that all of you grouped together without any means of protection makes you a great target. _I_ on the other hand plan to do whatever it takes to keep myself alive. I could really care less what happens to the rest of you."

Taken aback Edward scowled, "Suit yourself, but when you go missing don't expect us to risk our necks to save your ass!"

Zolf didn't even flinch at the harsh words, he merely smirked again, "I suppose you do have an advantage with that Doc on your side." He appeared lost in thought. "I wouldn't mind if she were with me, but the rest of you are worthless."

Edward felt the atmosphere take a chilling drop. He didn't like the way this guy was referring to Winry, his tone was far from caring. He sounded cold and distant, like a hunter speaking of his next kill. Too wound up with everything else he shook away his curiosity and made to take his leave. "Don't you're your breath."

He raised a careful brow, "I have my ways."

"If you lay one hand on her..." He growled out.

Kimbley rolled his eyes, "You'll what? Kill me?"

Edward didn't answer. There was something off about this guy but he had more important things to deal with. He turned and began to walk away.

Zolf chuckled softly behind him, "You should never turn your back on someone, it's very rude."

He didn't respond to the antagonizing, he had already wasted enough time on this crazy man. Walking back to where most had set up camp for the night, he found Winry curled up by the fire. Looking down at her peaceful expression he couldn't help but feel protective of her. He would make sure nothing happened to her.

About four other flames flickered down the coast, barely ten feet away from one another. There had been quite a few casualties, but there were over 30 passengers still alive. Of those thirty alive, they had split into smaller groups. He took the spot next to Winry, lying down in the empty space on the blanket. The sky was clear, a rare sight for someone from the city. It might have been a beautiful sight had he not been stranded on an island wondering if his brother was alright. It was going to be a long night.

Streaks of orange and yellow blazed across the sky as the sun began to rise. They had lived to see another day.

Sleep had evaded him most of the night, as the adrenaline slowly drained from his system. Something about the unknown left him restless, the dark of the jungle harboring more than the eye could see. Wearily, Ed got to his feet as the painful memories relapsed into his mind. He didn't need to look at the wreck to remember what had happened.

Several voices and the distant sound of crashes jerked him from his thoughts. Who would be up this early? Not wanting to wake Winry from her sleep he quietly got up and walked away. His suspicions took over as he carefully made his way over to the plane. For the most part it had settled, but every now and then something would break and fall causing the passengers to keep their distance. But as he drew closer he was positive the voices were coming from inside the plane.

Narrowing his eyes he let out a low grunt as a suitcase nearly took off his head. Moments later a head poked itself out of the wreck looking straight at him. The man made a face of apology as he looked from the suitcase to Edward. A second guy poked his head out, "What's the holdup Falman?"

Ed recognized this guy immediately, it was Jean Havoc. The guy who had helped Winry obtain supplies.

Havoc turned to face Edward, "Oi! You going to just stand there or are you going to help?"

Noticing his lack of movement Havoc sighed, his face growing serious. "We need to move as much of this luggage and supplies out of here as we can." His eyes scanned the wreckage, "The thing looks like it could collapse at any second."

Falman turned his attention on the rest of them, his expression weary. "Once we're done with this area, we need to look into the storage compartment."

Edward stepped forward, "I can start with the storage area while you two work up here."

A third man exited the plane, he was shorter than the rest a thick pair of black frames rested on his nose. "I'll help you out."

After a quick scan of the side of the wreck the man pointed to a door, the hinge slightly bent. Ed moved forward his hands bracing themselves on the sides of the door. He looked over at the man, "Stand back."

With a sharp pull and a grunt of exertion Edward managed to pull it open wide enough to allow them to slip through. The man beside him gave a weary smile, "Guess someone's gotta do it." He made to step through the space but turned suddenly, "Oh yeah, I'm Kain Fuery by the way."

Ed grinned halfheartedly as he looked into the dark space before them. "The name is Ed."

Blindly the two searched around the area, tugging away at suitcase after suitcase. It was then that Ed made out the sound of a slight whine. His skin tingling with suspense he began to work his way towards the sound, his hands outstretched to warn of objects in his path. "Hey Fuery, I think there's something over here!"

Kain's voice came out a little higher than it had before, "What do you mean _something_?"

Ed could distinguish between the sounds of the guys above him working and outside noises. This was definitely coming from inside the compartment. The whine came again and this time he was positive of what it was. His hands soon made contact with a metal grid and sure enough something began licking away at his hands. Not really thinking about the kind of danger he could be in, he felt around for the latch and opened the carrier. A large dog leapt out at him, gratefully planting kisses all over his face. Sputtering, Ed grumbled as he pushed the mutt off of him.

Fuery yelled over to him, "Hey Ed, you alright? What's going on over there?"

Feeling rather irritated as he wiped the slobber from his face, Ed grumbled under his breath for a moment before standing to his feet. "I'm alright; I found a dog over here."

He grabbed onto the dogs collar, gently letting him guide them out of the compartment. Ed blinked rapidly at the bright light that greeted his eyes.

"Hurry, grab me some water!"

Startled Ed looked up to find himself staring straight into a pair of ocean blue eyes. He put a hand behind his head in embarrassment, "Winry don't worry about it, I'm fine."

Winry gave him a puzzled look as she bent down to the dog's level. "I wasn't talking about you; I was talking about the dog." Her hands gently stroked his side, "He's got to be dehydrated."

Her hands played around with the dog's collar until she found its tag. She continued to stroke the dog's head in a comforting gesture as it laid its head on her lap. "It's ok Alexander, you're alright."

For a moment Ed was completely thrown off, the dog seemed completely at peace with her. The way she could heal things was more than a degree in medicine, it was something else. There was definitely more to her than what he had seen.

Her eyes left the dogs to stare at Edward, "Edward?"

Snapping out of his daydream, he tried to stop the blush from claiming his features, "Yeah, right…the water."

They continued to pull out luggage for the rest of the day. Luckily, the plane had been well stocked with bottled water and snacks. Well, there was enough to last them for the time being anyways. He hated to think that they would be there any longer than their supplies could hold them.

Despite all that was on his mind, his eyes kept wandering back to hers. She continued to make her way around the camp site, making sure to check up on everyone. Alexander the dog already appeared healthy again as it tagged along with her. His eyes grew saddened as he watched the little girl Elicia pet the dog. He could make out her tiny voice from where he was standing taking a break.

"Mommy, can we ask daddy for a doggie? Please, oh please!"

Gracia's eyes started to water. "We can't do that sweetie."

She pouted her lips, "Why?"

Her arms engulfed her daughter tightly in an embrace, "Daddy isn't here anymore…" She placed her hand on her daughter's heart, "He can only remain right here."

Ed felt a pain at the confused look on Elicia's face; he remembered only too well the feeling of loss at such a young age.

Strange, as he turned to look back at Winry he could have sworn she had the same pained expression as the little girl. Winry walked over to Elicia, a kind smile on her face. "You know I can't take care of Alexander all by myself. Would you like to help me?"

Elicia's frown turned up a little into a hesitant smile as she nodded her head vigorously.

She must have felt his eyes upon her because she turned and began to walk towards him. She sighed as she stood beside him, "When are you leaving?"

Confused Ed gave her a weird look, "What do you mean?"

Winry averted his eyes. "You're restless, I can tell. So, when are you leaving to go look for your brother?"

Funny, only his brother had ever really been able to read him that well. He felt a wave of shame cross over him, "I was going to leave tonight."

Her hands crossed over her chest as she bit her lip in thought. "Well everyone seems to be doing alright here, so I guess I can be ready by tonight. But I think it would be better to leave in the morning, don't you?"

What in the world was she talking about? She didn't really think that she was coming with him. "What are you talking about?"

Winry gave him a look as if he were slow. "I'm coming with you."

At this Edward jumped to his senses, "No!"

Her beautiful eyes hardened, "I don't think I asked for your permission."

Stubborn woman, she was making this harder than it had to be. "Winry you are the only doctor we have, I'm not endangering your life." He didn't add the other reason he didn't want her to come. She was safer with all of them around her; he didn't want to scare her with what the Kimbley guy had told him.

Her lips thinned as she grabbed his hand pulling him along with her. "More reason for me to come. When we find them, I would rather have a good look at them before we try and move them back here."

Somehow she had turned his rational words to mush as hers took their place in perfect logic. For a brief second he noticed how incredibly sexy she looked with her shirt ripped in places, her face hardened in opposition to him. She tugged on his hand, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Well, if we are leaving, we better get some supplies."

Too stunned to really argue Ed followed along as they packed two backpacks full of food and water.

Sadila, the new mother, caught sight of them and walked over. "You're leaving?"

Winry gave her a small smile, "Don't worry, we'll be back."

The group of guys, who had helped to salvage what was left of luggage from the plane, noticed their stance and stood up to hear what was going on.

The larger man, Breda, gave them a questioning look, "Where are you two headed?"

Ed didn't want to make this into a production; he didn't want to pull anyone else into this. "We're going to find the front half of the plane."

Havoc stepped forward, "Let me grab some stuff and then I'll be ready to go."

Edward shook his head violently, "You're not coming."

Jean narrowed his eyes, "Yeah and who made you boss?"

Winry's gentle voice smoothed over the situation with a grace of calm. "We can't leave everyone unprotected. You need to stay here to watch out for the rest of them." Her eyes lingered on the baby in Sadila's arms and Elicia standing by her mother.

Falman shook his head, "Do you even know where you're headed?"

Ed frowned; he knew there was something he was forgetting. "Well…I mean…we just uh…"

Falman reached inside his pocket pulling out a wrinkled piece of paper. Ed could make out several numerical figures and calculations scrawled across the paper.

He handed the paper to Edward, "If my calculations are correct, they should have landed in the south west part of the island. With the wind speed, our estimated velocity and the time at which the plane broke in two… this is the closest I can figure its whereabouts to be."

Everyone's mouths hung open in shock.

Falman looked mildly embarrassed, "I mean I don't have the kind of equipment to really figure out an exact location, but this should be pretty close."

When no one responded he let out a low sigh, "I'm a college physics professor. I quiz students with problems like this all the time."

Ed accepted the paper with gratitude. He didn't like to work with others very much, but here it seemed they really were going to have to rely on each other more. After several goodbyes, the two began to leave. Winry left Alexander to Gracia, but as soon as they turned to walk away the dog bounded after them. It barked expectantly at Winry.

Winry looked back at Ed, a look that clearly read the dog was coming. Instead of acting like he was giving in he pretended to have the last say. "Fine, the dog can come too."

She smiled, "You know, you're not as awful as you think you are."

A pleasant silence passed between them until they started to make their way into the thick brush of the jungle. The silence then took on a deeper meaning, they had no idea what lurked in the darkness in front of them. Alexander curiously sniffed around as they continued to work their way through the brush. Every now and then Winry ripped off a piece of a bright pink shirt, tying it to branches as they marked their path. Once they had fallen into a steady pace Alexander suddenly stiffened, refusing to move with them.

Winry turned to the dog, "Alexander?"

The dog tilted its head for a moment before it took off in front of them. Winry stood flabbergasted as the dog took off. Shouting after it Winry began to run in its wake, "Alexander! Come back! Alexander!"

Edward kept pace with her, his irritation taking over. "Winry stop! We're going to get lost!" She didn't turn. Exasperated he screamed at her back, "WINRY!"

Without warning she suddenly stopped causing Edward to crash into her. The two ended up in a heap of tangled legs and arms. Annoyance rolled across him as he struggled to get to his feet, "Winry, what in the world-"

His voice cut off as he stared in the direction of her wide eyes. Alexander was already barking loudly at something up above. As they both stumbled to their feet, they followed him in shock. Suspended above them in the tall trees was what they had been looking for. The front half of their plane looked dangerously enticing as it hung hazardously above them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Winry gaped open mouthed at the plane hanging dangerously above their heads. It must have been suspended at least 15 feet up. Shielding her eyes from the beams of sunlight that filtered through the canopy above, she tried to analyze the crash scene. It was definitely the front of their plane, but from the looks of it, they had really taken quite the fall. Evidence of its rough landing was apparent in the destroyed forest canopy and the vicious, claw like, marks across the trees. The paint was scratched off its sides, the front tip smashed into the trunk of one of the trees holding it up.

Edward stood beside her, his brow furrowed in thought. "I don't think there's anyone still up there." He cautioned a look around before cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. "Is anybody up there?"

The echo of his voice answered back several times, but no other voice joined it. They waited in silence, their ears straining to hear something...anything. After several minutes the silence began to mean something else entirely. Either the people up there were dead, or they had long since escaped. Alexander whined impatiently at their sides, his ears going back.

The familiar wave of nausea crept over her as she eyed the wreck. If she continued to think about what they might find, she feared she really would be sick. Shrugging off her backpack, she double knotted her shoes before sweeping her blond hair up into a tight ponytail.

Ed eyed her for a second before his voice broke out with disbelief. "You're not going up there, are you?"

Winry cocked her eyebrow as she made her way over towards one of the trees that held the plane up. "Well we didn't come this far to _not_ look." She shot him a curios glance, "Aren't _you_ coming?"

She knew she had struck a nerve with the last hint of suggestion. There was no way Ed would turn down her challenge. For as short of a time as she had known him, she knew he was not one to be left out or left behind.

Left behind…she knew what that felt like.

She must have zoned out for a while. Ed waved a hand in front of her face. "Winry, you alright?" His face changed in concern. "You should stay here with Alexander, let me go."

That quickly brought her back from thoughts of her past. She had decided long ago that if she could do something to help she would not hesitate. "No, I'm fine. Let's do this."

He didn't look like he believed her, but she could tell his drive to find his brother was a more pressing issue.

Winry kneeled next to the dog, patting him gently on the head. "Will you be a good boy and stay here?"

The dog barked loudly before licking the side of her face.

She groaned slightly as she pushed Alexander off, wiping the slobber off her cheek. Edward chuckled softly at her side, "I think he likes you."

Winry caught his gaze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. There was a strange longing in his expression, an intense gold in his eyes. She had never seen someone with eyes that color. There was something very intriguing about him. If she was going to be honest with herself he was a handsome guy...the type most girls would kill to be stuck on an island with.

He continued to stare at her. "You know you're really good with people and animals, you ever think about being a doctor?"

Winry laughed lightly, taking in his teasing tone he must be trying to cheer her up.

His face turned serious for a second, as if he was pondering something. "Why did you become a doctor?"

She pursed her lips for a second, trying not to let her memories go too deep. "I guess I get it from my parents, they were both doctors."

It looked like he wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily. Preparing for the onslaught of painful questions, she braced herself. But the usual inquiry into her past never came. She let out a breath of relief as he turned his attention to the dog.

He tried without much luck to get the dog to pay attention to him, but Alexander kept his focus on her. Ed glanced between the two of them. "So why do you think this guy likes you so much?"

"I had a dog like him back home, but I think it's because I fed him before we left." She patted Alexander fondly on the head as he rubbed against her legs. "That's dogs for ya; they love anyone who is sweet to them. Well to be more exact, they love anyone who feeds them."

After a moment of silence Winry looked up. She was surprised to find her joking had fallen on deaf ears. Ed was staring at her with something behind his eyes; like there was something he wasn't telling her. "Nah...I don't think that's the reason." He smiled kindly at her, the first smile she could ever recall, that gave her goose bumps. "You're beautiful; of course the dog can't keep his eyes off you."

_Beautiful? _Now she was sure she was blushing a million shades of pink. She tried in vain to mask the look of embarrassment on her face. Of course he didn't mean it the way she took it. He was just joking around with her, so why did he keep staring at her like that? Feeling rather useless she pointed to his pack. "We should probably get up there before it gets any later."

Edwards snapped out of his stupor, his face turning red as he rummaged around in his pack. Finally he pulled out the bundle of rope, tossing it towards her outstretched arms. Grabbing the rope, she quickly made her estimation and threw it over the highest branch she could hit. After lowering the one side down, she made a tight knot and worked it back so that it could easily help them climb.

A low whistle followed her arrangement.

"What do they teach you in med school?"

Winry smiled, "This?" She smarted off, her eyes teasing. "I'm pretty sure they didn't cover how to climb trees in chemistry."

With that she took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the rope. Thank goodness she had muscles from years of being a mechanic and endurance built up from her time as resident at the hospital. Finding her footing she began to scale the side of the tree, using the thicker vines as leverage. Once they were about halfway Winry hoisted herself onto a thick branch for a break. Ed was behind her in seconds, taking his place next to her.

"Do you see anything?"

Ed looked up at the bottom of the plane. "Winry, we won't be able to get a good look until we actually get there..."

"That's not what I meant." She pointed at the ground. "We need to look for signs of a trail. Any clue that might lead to what happened will help. If they escaped, there has to be a trail."

She continued to scan the forest floor, there had to be something. But there was nothing from up high that she didn't see from down below. About the only thing she did see was Alexander patiently waiting in the spot she had asked him to stay.

Ed turned back to face her placing his fingers to his temple. "This is impossible." He tried to call once more. "Hello! Is anybody there?"

With no response Ed sighed wearily beside her. With just one glance in his direction she too felt the disappointment. It was obvious at this height that if no one had answered their calls they were either gone…or dead.

The suspense grew as they stared at the wreck. Winry brushed a stray hair out of her face, before finding her footing. She continued to climb until she had at last reached the side of the plane. The sound of crunching leaves and branches behind her gave her a little more courage than she could have mustered by herself. She wasn't alone, Ed was right behind her. The back of the plane was slightly higher than the rest, the nose tilted down towards the ground. Her hands gripped at the side of the plane, careful of the now rather small ledge they had to work with. It took one last haul of energy to propel her up onto the next highest branch, allowing her to at least see inside the plane.

Whatever she had envisioned in her head was thrown to the wayside; this wasn't what she was expecting. A good chunk of the seats were missing, the rest strewn about the cabin. Winry stepped inside, her heart beating fast. Once Edward had joined her, a loud crack filled the air. They froze in fear as the plane shifted slightly, the metal groaning in protest.

She squeezed her eyes shut, what a terrible idea. Why in the world did she think it was smart to climb up into the trees that were just barely supporting this balancing wreck?

Sensing her fear, Ed gently pushed her forward. "Come on; let's just grab the radio and go."

Winry swallowed hard before continuing to carefully navigate her way through the debris covered cabin. Every groan and creak bleakly reminded her just how lucky she was to be alive. The plane shifted once more, but she didn't stop moving. They couldn't afford to hesitate this far in. Her eyes strayed from the debris, landing on the opened cockpit door. Inside was like a mirror image of the rest, chaos reigned wild. The dented in ceiling was complete with ripped wiring and the scattering of garbage and paperwork. It only took one glance around to see what was missing. Staring at the hole in the control panel, she knew Ed was thinking the same thing.

He stared at the empty space on the dashboard, "It's gone?"

Neither of them should have found this thought discomforting. The fact that it was missing could allude to several optimistic outcomes. Yet they felt entirely useless as everything they were searching for slipped from their grasps.

Ed put his hands on top of his head in frustration, "How can it be missing?"

Winry could feel the pain emanating from the man beside her. "They must have taken it with them."

"Took it with them…who? Do you honestly believe anyone survived this?" The sarcasm dripped from his voice as he gestured around them, his eyes lingering on the stains of blood.

She wasn't about to let him give up, she needed him to be a fighter. "Who's to say they didn't survive? I don't see any bodies here; the same can't even be said for our half of the plane and look how many of us survived. Who's to say they didn't all manage to climb out of here alive?" Her voice softened as she slipped her hand into his, "Who's to say that they aren't out there right now, looking for us?"

He looked like he was struggling with something before he ripped his hand away from hers. The expression in his features darkened in the waning light. "If you haven't noticed Winry we aren't in the city anymore. I'm sure there are creatures out here who would gladly have taken the free meal."

Her hands clenched into fists, "Stop it."

"Stop what?" His voice cracked slightly, "Stop being realistic? You can't save everyone!"

"That doesn't mean you can stop trying!" Dammit, she couldn't cry over this. There were worse things out there... worse things had happened to her than this. "You have to stop this…I can't do this by myself. None of us can." The dampness in her eyes started to roll down her cheeks. She brushed them away quickly. The light in the space began to dim, the shadows of the trees surrounding them in darkness. The silence between them faded as Ed stepped closer to her. His face turned down, the hair in his eyes shielding his expression.

"This is frustration, I'm sorry."

She knew he was hurting. "Don't be sorry Ed; you only want to find your brother."

"No, I shouldn't have said those things to you." Slowly he reached out his hand towards her, "You're only trying to help and I'm just making it worse."

She wiped away the remaining tears before grabbing onto his hand, "Idiot."

He smiled sadly at her. "Let's go." He was about to pull her towards the way they had come in, when she yanked back her hand. The cabin had gone too dark too quickly. There was no way they had been in there that long.

Leaning forward she placed her hands on the control board tilting her head up to see out the small square windows.

Concern filled the worry lines on his face. "What is it?"

Winry watched as the skies above them darkened with the arrival of thick dark clouds. "It looks like a storm is coming. If we're going to set up camp we better see if there are any more supplies up here."

Staring around at the mess, Ed sighed. "I don't know how much we're going to find."

They began searching the overhead compartments, but each was more of the same. The feeling of questionable excitement which had filled her since they had stumbled upon the plane had vanished. A bright flash of light was followed by its companionable thunder echoing in the space between her and Edward. Looking out at the opened end of the plane she felt the first pellets of rain strike them. It was obvious their search was done. Edward began to climb out of the plane, "We got to move, we're a sitting target up here with lighting like that."

But Winry didn't hear a word of what he was saying; her eyes were fixed on what the lighting had suddenly revealed to her. Her body froze as she realized just how close Edward was to it.

Ed looked over his shoulder at her, "Winry wha-?" His expression turned instantly upon seeing the fear in her eyes.

Tearing her eyes away from it, she spoke in a quiet rush. "Don't move."

He stopped moving instantly, his hands clenching. "Winry…what is it?"

Before she could spit it out, the jaguar let out a snarling growl in their direction. Another spark of lighting lit up the ferocious lines of its contorted face. The rain started to fall faster, thunder rolling through the air.

The jaguar bared its fangs again, its ears turning back with aggression. Edward slowly put himself between her and the angered cat. "Winry, when I count to three, I want you to make a run for it."

Winry gritted her teeth, "Run where Ed! If you haven't noticed we're trapped in a plane up in a tree!"

A vein in the back of his neck flinched, "Dammit Winry, just do it."

He was a stubborn ass but she wasn't going to leave him. They outnumbered the animal, but she doubted the small pocket knife that had been in someone's suitcase would do them much good. To get close enough to use it…she shivered in anticipation.

Edward hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "Winry…please."

She wouldn't answer him; he obviously wasn't going to listen. Instead she grabbed his hand, forcing him to hear her answer. His muscles tensed under her touch, but she didn't let him pull away.

Since the passing of her only living relative, she had always prided herself on her ability to stand by herself. To do everything on her own was something she had thought was an accomplishment. But she was a smart girl despite her conscious denial, and she knew when something was missing. She wasn't going to survive out here by herself and she didn't want to. To rely on someone, to trust someone with your entire being; she felt more alive facing death by his side than she ever felt in the comfort of her solitude.

Illuminated by the approaching streaks of lightning, the jaguar hissed again. Its muscles tensed as it prepared to strike. Winry held his hand firmly in hers, they had survived a plane crash, and they could survive this. As the tension reached a breaking point, the sound of loud barking broke the stalemate. The cat eyed them for a moment before turning its gaze to the strange object below. Winry froze as the cat stared back and forth from the loud barks to them. Just as another loud crack of thunder filled the air, the cat broke out of his crouch and began to flee in the opposite direction.

Winry nearly fainted, her head sinking forward into Ed's back. Her breath came out in a shaky rush. How in the world they made it out of that one, she had no idea. She watched as every muscle in his body relaxed, except the one that kept his hand around hers.

He tightened his grip and towed her behind him as they climbed out of the wreckage in silence.

The climb down was much harder than the climb up. The rain was now pouring down so heavily that it was hard to see where to catch their footing, where to place their grip. Winry had started down first, her fingernails clawing into the branches to keep her hold. Just as she was about to reach for the rope she felt her feet slide. A tiny scream filtered through her throat as she tried desperately to grab the rope. She saw Edwards hand reaching for her, and she heard Alexander's barks, but the ground met her much quicker. With a loud thud she lay unmoving on the ground.

Her chest fell flat, her lungs not expanding. It felt like someone was sitting on her airway as she struggled to find her breath. There was a sharp pain in her arm, but first she needed air. Something wet was licking her arm, but it was the golden eyes that stole her attention.

"Winry! Winry!" His hands shook as he dropped to her side.

She felt ridiculously like a fish out of water as she gulped for air. Trying to stop the panic from stealing her from reason, she closed her eyes and waited for it to pass. Sure enough her lungs finally expanded with air. Calming for a second she tried to blink the rain from her eyes so she could see. As she tried to sit up she felt a searing pain in her left arm. Moaning in pain she turned her attention to her left side. Edward was staring at her, his face inches from hers.

"Tell me what to do."

She let her left arm fall limp as she used her right one to gently stroke his cheek. It was probably a delirious sort of moment but she didn't want to see him look so distressed.

The fall really had done a number on her. She blinked rapidly as the rain continued to pour down, the lie already falling from her lips. "I'm okay…really."

He looked at her left arm, "Winry..."

Alexander whined sadly at her side, sensing the pain emanating from both of them.

She tried to tell Edward she needed to make a splint for her arm, but the words wouldn't come. Nothing seemed to come out as soon as she thought about it.

She didn't like the way the ground swayed back and forth as if she were on some flying trapeze. Closing her eyes she begged it stop.

She heard him shouting her name. The tone of his voice changed and she wished she could answer him this time. This time she was sure he was pleading with her, begging her to answer him. It felt like the storm was dragging her into the thunderous clouds above. Dragging her into the depths of darkness until her thoughts stilled.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

It had all happened so fast, like someone had accidentally hit the fast-forward button at the crucial climax of the scene. The smallest mistake had changed their circumstances drastically.

He called her name, but she neither answered nor moved. Just another damn thing to fret over. The only thing keeping him from complete panic was the steady rise and fall of her chest. She was alive, and all things considered, that was something. Edward swore under his breath as he scanned the forest around him. The rain was still coming down in sheets, the lightning illuminating the sunless sky. This place was far more dangerous than their fearless attitudes could have prepared them for. How could he have missed that jaguar? He was making deadly mistakes. There were certainly far worse things than a cat out in a place like this. It was a stupid mistake; he knew better to let his guard down. Why in the world did he let her convince him that going up there was a sane idea?

She must have hit her head hard; he could feel the bump on the back of her cranium. Shit, if only _he_ was the doctor in this equation. The last thing she had said to him was about her arm and a splint. Thankfully, he had paid enough attention during the first aid portion of health class back in the day to know what a splint was. He just hoped he was doing it the right. Ripping apart the sleeve of his shirt, he broke a long branch on the ground beside him and carefully laid the part of her arm, between her elbow and her wrist, against it. Something was definitely wrong if she had voiced her pain about it, she was a tough girl. The bone hadn't broken through the skin but he could already see a bruising and tinge to the skin that alluded to more than just a bruise. The thought of it made him grimace. The splint would be enough for the moment; well it would have to be enough. In his new role as doctor he attempted to carefully wrap the torn piece of fabric around her arm, binding the stick against her skin. Her chest rose steadily, but she never once winced in pain. Either she was out cold, or she couldn't feel her arm, neither option sounded ideal.

Alexander whined impatiently at her side, his head resting on her leg.

He breathed out a deep sigh, "I know, but this is the best I can do."

He stood up, pulling her into his arms. Her head fell against his shoulder, wet, blond hair falling out of her ponytail and into her face. Ignoring the urge to sweep it away, he set to the task at hand. Not far away, a hollowed out tree provided a big enough space to shelter them. Once he had laid her down he went back to retrieve their bags and take one last glance at the mystery before them.

It didn't make sense that the passengers would have worked their way deeper into the forest. Surely they would have been able to navigate to the shore, it wasn't that far away. And if they had decided to make their way to the shore, why did they not run into them? There were too many holes in the evidence to really make a good hypothesis.

Leaning up against the inside of the tree, he let her head rest on his lap. He sighed wearily as Alexander nudged himself under his arm, curling up to sleep beside him. There wasn't anything else to think about besides that they had survived one more day.

He rubbed his hands against his eyes as if to push the sleep away. He couldn't afford to let his guard down, not when they could be in danger. A small moan escaped his female companion's lips as she snuggled closer to him. Something about her face on his lap and that particular sound made his cheeks burn. But his gaze was quickly pulled to her arm. Never in his life had he ever felt so utterly useless.

This was a complete disaster. What had he done in his life that was any better than his father? He hadn't been a good son, he wasn't a very good brother, and now he was proving to be more of a hindrance than a help. He thought briefly about what he had told Winry on the plane. He had promised her it would all be all right. The lids over his eyes grew heavier and heavier but that didn't stop the lump from forming in his throat. His brother was out there somewhere either dead or dying. He had failed his family before, but now it seemed so much worse. His hand grazed Winry's cheeks, but he couldn't let it stay. Everything he touched was cursed to the end. He stared out in the darkness, letting the sound of rain take him under.

The ambiance of birds and foreign creatures filled the morning air. Edward awoke in a daze, blinking slowly into the bright light. His breath caught in his throat, how had he fallen asleep. Looking down he felt his heart drop, she was gone. Ungraciously, he stumbled to his feet in his desperate search for her. Running from the shelter of the tree he found what he was looking for...if not more. His face formed a small 'o' of surprise as he caught sight of the blond. Her hair fell is soft waves around her face, her expression stern with concentration. She must have heard his approach because a deep blush spread across her face as she realized just what he was seeing. She was standing in her Capri's pants and bra as she used her shirt as a makeshift sling. In her embarrassment she let her good arm drop the tie, making her grimace in pain as the sling broke.

Edward didn't have time to be embarrassed as he ran forward and grabbed the fallen end. Carefully, he grabbed both ends of her shirt trying it gently over her right shoulder. Once he had it tied he pulled off his own shirt, handing it over to her. She just stared at him, making him suddenly aware of how awkward the past few seconds had just been. A thought made its way through his head, making the entire situation suddenly comical. It was too late; he couldn't hold his laughter in. Winry glared at him for a second before her entire face lit up. She was entirely captivating as merriment rolled off her tongue. He continued to laugh until his side's hurt, his shirt still extended chivalrously toward her.

Reaching towards him, she took the shirt gratefully. She looked hesitant, "Are you sure?" She eyed his bare chest, the hint of laughter still on her lips.

Ed shot her a cocky grin, the embarrassment already gone. "You know, all you had to do was ask and I would have given you my extra shirt for a sling."

Winry opened and shut her mouth but nothing came out as she pondered his words. Finally she just smiled, "Thank you." She inclined her head towards her arm, "Yeah, you're probably right."

Edward grinned back at her. Just as he was about to suggest their next move, he lost his train of thought. He couldn't possibly take her seriously as he saw her weak attempt at dressing herself. She had her good arm through one sleeve, the buttons undone so that the other half wound around her other side, the sleeve hanging uselessly under her arm.

Her eyes narrowed in mock anger, "It's harder than it looks, alright?"

She was irresistibly beautiful when she was mad. He shook his head quickly; he needed to stop thinking about her like that. "This is going to take forever, here let me help you."

Coming up from behind her, he gently undid the sling, cradling her arm in his hand. Slowly, he pulled the sleeve over her arm. She shivered in his arms.

Great, he was hurting her. He mumbled an apology as he tried to ignore how close she was to him.

Winry tilted her head back to stare at him, a strange look in her eyes. He was surprised by the soft tone of her voice. "You didn't hurt me."

Edward almost lost himself as her breath grazed his bare shoulder. Thankfully she turned to face forward, allowing Ed sufficient time to recite the periodic table through his head without distraction. Tying the sling once again, he stepped back as soon as he made sure it was alright.

He watched her look up at the plane. "I guess we should keep moving."

That stopped him short, she couldn't be serious. "_We_ are heading back to camp." He stared at her arm; she had to be in pain. "There is no way I'm dragging you out here like this."

She tried to pull her pack onto her good shoulder, ignoring Ed's defiant stance. "I figure we can keep on our original path."

He could admire her strength, but he couldn't ignore her suffering. "I am taking you back, and then I will go alone."

Winry stopped trying to get her pack back on glaring at him. "This is nothing; I already said that I was going with you, so I'm going with you."

She stated in such a way that he found himself believing in her conviction. But it wasn't just about her arm. He felt like their luck was wearing thin. Listen it's dangerous out here, we almost died before you broke your arm."

A stubborn gleam took hold of her. "It's just as dangerous out here as it is back at camp. Besides, we need to find your brother and taking me back will only slow you down."

He frowned, "Yeah like you're going to be any help like that?" He nodded towards her arm, his eyebrows raised.

Winry sighed, "I broke my arm, not my back. Now let's go." She whistled for Alexander who immediately raced to her side.

Those two had really become inseparable. Though he had to admit, he was glad for the extra protection canine ears could provide. At least they would have a little more warning out there, and that could mean all the difference in the world.

Alexander took the lead, sniffing here and there, carefully investigating before pursuing a particular path. The silence was troubling but he didn't want to dwell on his thoughts. If he let his mind wander too much he found himself mesmerized by Winry. He wondered if it was the jungle heat or just nature's way of pushing him towards the only female in this survival mode he had going on. Whatever it was he couldn't keep his mind off of her.

Out of the blue his stomach chose to make its presence known. The loud gurgling and growling caught both Winry's and Alexander's attention.

Winry put her free arm over her own stomach, "Don't worry Ed." She smiled weakly. "I feel the same; my stomach just isn't as vocal."

Finding a good place to sit, Ed fished through his pack, pulling out some granola bars. After one bite he vowed to never again question the integrity of health food. After their big adventure the previous day he was suddenly aware of the hunger that claimed his senses. Eating on an empty stomach made everything taste so much better. He did feel a tad guilty as he watched Winry share hers with the dog, but she waved it off with a smile.

"I had one when I first woke up this morning."

Ed's mind whirled to the night before, his hand on her face…her body lying on his. Was she thinking about the same thing?

Looking rather flustered she too appeared lost in her thoughts. So when she leaned forward and placed her lips on his cheek, he couldn't have been more surprised. His eyes opened widely in shock. The voice that left his throat was a bit higher than usual, "What was that for?"

She stood up; the pink on her cheeks a beautiful addition to her features. "For everything."

The sun was now at high noon, the heat washing over them in waves. Ed wiped a hand over his brow, actually thankful for the lack of shirt on his back. They made a few stops to catch their bearings and to drink the water from their packs. At one of these stops he found himself once again amused by her antics. With one hand, she tried unsuccessful to pull her long hair back off her neck. He watched her for several minutes before his stare registered to her.

Looking frustrated she turned on him, "What?"

Shaking his head he headed in her direction. Without her permission he pulled the hair tie from her hand and quickly stroked the threads of hair back into a neat ponytail. Once he was done he began to start the hike again, but he didn't miss the flush of her cheeks that hadn't been there before, despite the hot weather.

Judging from the angle of the sun he figured it would be dark soon. That was when Alexander started to act funny. The dog perked its head up, taking a strong stance towards the brush in front of them. Winry drew closer to his side, her eyes mirroring the worry in his. Ed slipped his hand inside the side of his pack, grasping the handle of the small army knife they had with them. It was only good if they were within range of their opponent. He really hoped he would have no need for its use.

Then, like the time before, Alexander bolted away from them. Ed couldn't stop the curses that flooded from his mouth as they struggled to keep pace. Though this time, he wasn't going to second guess the mutt's instincts. Seeing as he had led them to clues before, he was beginning to think the dog knew what they were looking for.

The laughter that once filled the air between them was replaced with the sound of racing feet and panting breath. After running for a good ten minutes Ed wasn't so sure they had made a good call in following Alexander a second time. Perhaps the dog was chasing after something asinine or of no relevance to them at all. To be fair they had no other leads so he would just have to suck it up and hope for the best.

He kept a careful watch on Winry, making sure she was keeping up with them. She grimaced every now and then, but he never once heard her voice it. It was remarkable the true strength of such a sweet looking girl. He had never met anyone like her, and he was beginning to think he would never meet anyone that could even come close.

With a soft growl, Alexander stopped a few feet in front of them. He bared his teeth, his head whipping from side to side as he backed up towards them. Edward felt for the knife again. Winry caught his hand, gently pushing the blade down. What was she doing? His retort was lost as he followed her eyes. A small boy cautiously poked his head out from behind a tree. Stepping forward Winry placed a hand on the dogs back to try and calm him down. Yet Alexander wouldn't rest, he continued to growl, the fur on his back raised.

"Shh Alexander, calm down!"

The boy's clothes were torn in several places, dirt smudged on his face. Stepping closer, Ed held up his hands in what he hoped was a peaceful gesture. The boy responded to this, slowly emerging from his hiding spot.

"It's ok, we won't hurt you."

The boy stared at the dog appearing unconvinced. "Did you crash here too?"

Hope flared in his chest; he must have been in the front of the plane. "Where you seated in the front of the plane?"

The boy nodded, "We crashed a few days ago…" His face fell, "But I got lost from everyone…I can't find them anywhere."

Winry had finally managed to calm Alexander down. She stooped to the boy's level, "What's your name?"

"Selim."

Ed tried to remember back to the flight, he had seen all the little kids playing with Al. But for some reason, he didn't remember this kid. Well, he did seem a little advanced for someone his age. He probably just wasn't interested in the shenanigans of youth. He felt amazed just looking at this kid. If he had been by himself since the crash, how on earth did he survive?

Winry kneeled down next to him, the sweetest smile on her face. "Selim, you are a very brave boy. My name is Winry, this is Ed and that's Alexander over there." Her face looked concerned. "Did you hurt anything in the crash?"

The boy shook his head. Ed felt bad for the kid, but they needed to make good time while it was still light out. He wondered how they were going to continue to search for the rest of them with the addition. His thoughts were halted by the growling behind his back. He shot an angry glare at Alexander as he emitted another nasty growl. "Alexander, cut it out!"

Shaking his head, he leaned in closer to the boy, "Do you remember everyone who survived the crash?"

Selim bit his lip, his head shaking back and forth, "No, I can't remember."

Winry placed her good hand on his arm in a gesture of condolence. She had obviously caught sight of the way his face fell.

"Ed, he has just been through a very traumatic event, you can't expect him to remember everything."

Edward sighed in defeat; "I know…it just seems like every clue we find leads us nowhere!"

Selim who had been staring curiously at them interjected into their conversation. "I can show you where I last remember being with them."

Ed brightened up immediately, "How far away from here is it?"

Selim smiled, "Not far."

He caught Winry's eye before he confirmed their decision. "Well that's a better lead than we have, will you show us?"

Selim nodded his head in response. After walking for quite some time, he was beginning to think this kid had no idea where they were going. Ed felt his annoyance rise, it seemed like they were going in circles. "How much further?"

The boy smiled and after a few more steps, stopped walking. "Oh it won't be long."

The sudden change in the boy's demeanor sent chills down Ed's back. It was like seeing the final picture of a puzzle. Something wasn't right, his stomach dropped.

The rips in his clothes, but no wounds to speak of, the same excuses, the mature tone to his voice, Alexander's attitude and the lack of emotion in his black eyes. Whipping around he grasped at Winry's wrist his face flooded with fear. "RUN!"

His realization came far too late. By the time they had started to retreat, they were surrounded. The euphoria he expected upon seeing other people was drowned out by their appearance. One man licked his lips appreciatively, his round belly bulging towards them. Another man looked vaguely like a palm tree, his hair sticking out at odd angles. His heart stopped as he caught sight of a mammoth of a man, the veins of his arms twitching in anticipation. Ed continued to scan the group his gaze following another man who lurked in the shadows, his eyes shielded behind a pair of black shades.

Selim took his place beside the final and closest to human looking of them. The man looked them over before nodding his approval. "Nicely done my son."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

She heard Edward scream at her to run, but it was too late. The looming figures were already descending down upon them. She felt the air leave her lungs as fear clenched at her throat. Helplessly, she could only watch as the horrible creatures gathered around them.

It was as if they had snuck out of a horror film, or rather they had just fallen into one. To be honest, she had always avoided scary movies, the blonde girl was always ridiculously helpless and almost always the first to die. That was hardly a comforting thought at a time like this.

Shivers ran up and down her spine as the one closest to her began to close the distance, drool running down his chin. He looked longingly at her, his head moving up and down as his eyes traveled the length of her body. Winry felt sick as he licked his lips in anticipation. It was a look of hunger undaunted by lust but filled with need.

He rubbed his hands together with an eager impatience. "When can we eat? When can we eat?"

Edward stepped in front of Winry, shielding her from his disgusting advances. "What do you want from us?"

Winry watched as Selim smiled broadly, his eyes glinting with malice. It was truly unnatural for someone so innocent to harbor such evil. "That's for us to know and you to find out."

Unable to resist any longer, the glutton of a man jumped forward. With tremendous power, he knocked Edward to the ground, surrendering a clear path towards Winry.

A hiss of pain shot through her lips as her body fell on her broken arm. Instinct kicked in as she fought to escape his grasp. Rolling to her other side, the breath flew out of her lungs as large hands clamped onto her ankles. A terrible shriek poured from her mouth as she found herself being dragged towards the opened mouthed monster. The cannibal yanked her closer, his smile delirious with victory.

Alexander reacted first, his teeth bared as he leapt forward. Charging at the horrible creature, his mouth ripped at its skin. The monster howled in pain, the sudden movement successfully breaking his hold on Winry.

Quick thinking propelled Winry away, allowing her to crawl out of his reach. The others just stared in amusement as he waged his attack against her.

Having lost its prey, the delirious happiness changed quickly to rage. A twisted kind of growl emitted from the blob. Narrowing its eyes, he swatted Alexander away with a flick of his hand.

The dog let out a small whimper as its body smashed to the ground.

Winry choked out in horror, he had thrown the dog as if he was merely swatting a fly from his face. She called out to the motionless dog. "Alexander!"

What in the world was he made of? Even the marks from Alexander were already fading away as if he had never even touched him. Great power and regeneration, as level headed as she could be, this was far from her grasp.

Tremors of agony fed from her arm through her body. Edward managed to find his footing and was fast enough to catch her before she fell. She was dead on her feet as she stared, horrified, by the creature's fury.

Effectively separating her from the now enraged monster, Edward held her tightly in his arms. It would have been a wonderful feeling to have him hold her like that. If only they weren't lost on an island, surrounded by strangers. She couldn't help but wonder, how in the world would they make it out of this alive?

Ed's voice screamed out at the monster, a deep anger that laced his words with malice. "If you lay one hand on her again-"

The thing just cocked its head to the side in confused amusement, his tongue hanging out. "Me hungry, she tasty!"

The man with an eye patch who stood behind Selim gave him a stern glare, "Now Gluttony, you will have to wait your turn."

Outnumbered and overpowered, they had few options. She knew Edward was weighing their chances as well. His face looked grim in thought as he looked at each one of them in turn. "Listen, we have nothing you could possibly want."

While he spoke, Winry tried to analyze the creatures around them. If she could just find something to identify what they were… monster seemed to be too kind of a word. Looking closely, she caught sight of a tattoo on the tongue of Gluttony. It appeared to be a snake eating its own tail. The others each had the same mark somewhere on their bodies. She thought she remembered seeing that mark somewhere, but she could hardly recall such information after all they had just been through.

This cloud of mystery that surrounded these strangers could have blocked out the sun. The most humanlike of the group were wearing clothes circa 1940, while the more beastly sported slick black suits. None of this could even begin to explain how they knew both her and Edwards's name. It was a rather peculiar gathering and she hoped that Edwards's brother and the rest had not been misfortunate enough to meet them.

The man with the dark sunglasses folded his arms over his chest in boredom. "We should just let Gluttony eat them, why drag it out?"

The man behind Selim sighed in annoyance, "Greed, you will do well to remember that patience is a virtue."

Greed chuckled darkly, "Virtue, that's a funny one Bradley."

By this time, Alexander had recovered, his body slinking towards Winry. He continued to bare his teeth at the creatures around them, his stance attempting to shield both of his human companions.

Edward put his arms around her. Out of the corner of his mouth he whispered into her ear. "Don't be scared."

The palm tree haired man stepped forward, his façade widening with a grin. "Oh but you should be scared; you should be very frightened."

Bradley took control, his gaze threatening any continued movement from him. "Enough Envy." His head turned to where the three stood defensively, "I can see that you two are obviously not going to come quietly. I would rather not resort to this, but time is of the essence." He nodded his head towards the silent killer in the background, the biggest creature of them all. "Sloth, if you would please."

The ground shuddered under their feet. In an instant, the monster had traveled to their side, his sheer size betraying gravity. Winry found herself ripped from Ed's arms as Sloth jerked her up into the air. He squeezed her in his hands, binding her arms to her sides in a painful hold. The suffering lasted for a few minutes more before Envy had tied her wrists and ankles.

The binds of the rope tightened around her wrists as he clumsily knotted them together. Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes as she struggled against their hold. A horrible moan escaped her lips as the rope pulled at the wrist of her broken arm. Unceremoniously, Sloth dropped her to the ground, the ropes clutched in his hands. Winry twisted her head to try and see Edward.

What she didn't expect was the shadows that appeared to bind Edward in black. Every part of his body was covered in black, except for a small slit for his eyes and nose. Terror surged through her as she followed these strange shadows to their owner. Standing at the core of the snake like outlines was the small boy, his eyes as black as the darkness itself. Her companion's body curled up as the blackness closed tighter around him.

Seeing Edward in pain, to see him being tortured in such a way blinded her to her own predicament. Unable to withhold her outrage she screamed desperately at the boy. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

The small boy slowly swiveled his head in her direction, but the blackness didn't retreat. Bradley, who had been watching turned his back on them, "Take them underground."

Sloth grunted heavily in acknowledgement before taking action. Trudging forward, he yanked at the rope. The pain blinded her senses as she felt herself stumble forward, her feet staggering below. When the slack in the rope finally drew tight, Winry felt herself slam into the forest floor.

Spots of white flickered through her vision as he dragged her against her will. With what little strength she could muster, she clawed at the ground to try and halt his advance. But it was nothing more than a grain of sand fighting against the wind.

Having finally struggled enough to get his face cleared of the shadow, Ed screamed at her retreating form. A broken and pleading sound escaped his lips.

"WINRY!" Edward struggled desperately with his own binds. "YOU BASTARDS, LET HER GO!"

Envy cracked a smile, "Such a selfish couple you two are. And how may I ask are _you_ going to stop us?" He laughed an obnoxious cackle. "Hey Wrath, why don't you let us have a bit more fun with this guy?"

Selim took over for Bradley, his obvious power over the others showing. But the more intriguing element she had caught was the name Wrath. Were they all named after one of the seven sins?

"Enough Envy. Shut the kid up and get back to work."

Tears pooled in her eyes as she watched them silence Edward with one hit. She could do nothing to help him, there was no escaping Sloth's hold. As he pulled her up into his arms, she knew she was losing this battle. The beast below her demonstrated his power as he threw her, like a rag doll, over his shoulder. By this time, she was aching so badly that she wasn't so sure just _what_ exactly was broken. The further they moved away from Edward, the worse she felt.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed. For being named Sloth, he moved ironically fast. They had already covered enough ground that she could no longer make out any other voices. Only her panicked breathing and the low grunts of the beast below her marred the air around them. His movements combined with his tight hold on her made her stomach churn. She wondered how much fight she had left in her.

He eventually stopped moving, dropping her as if he were merely discarding a toy. Clenching her jaw tightly, she bit back a cry, she wasn't sure why it mattered but she thought she needed to be strong.

The enormous being stumbled maladroitly towards a rather thick outcropping of bushes; his hands searching for something she couldn't quite see. At last, he pulled at two handles, revealing an underground chamber.

Winry eyed the space with weariness; it didn't look at all charming inside. Once inside she had a feeling her chances of escape would be close to zero. Fighting the desire to coil up and cry, she wriggled her way on to her stomach and began to crawl half haphazardly in the opposite direction. She wouldn't be defeated so easily, she had come too far in this life to just give up.

The irritated growl that was elicited behind her closed the door on her escape. Sloth jerked her back towards him with a grunt of impatience. Once he had pulled her close enough he threw her back over his shoulder and then they were moving again, descending down into the chamber.

Once they were underground Winry looked up at what appeared to be an endless hallway shrouded in darkness. The fluorescent lights flickered a sickly yellow. The color hovered like a foggy sky off the grayed walls. As if her circumstances didn't look grim enough.

He carried her about halfway down, making a right through a set of double doors. The giant had to stoop to coerce his massive body through the comparably small doorway. Stepping inside, she caught sight of the source of all the wires and cables she had seen lining the walls of the hallway. Sitting in the shadow of the room was an older looking man. He appeared younger than Bradley but definitely in his late 40's. When he opened his eyes she felt her mouth go dry. Even with the prominent beard across his chin, there could be no mistaking the clear resemblance. The amber eyes made the connection disturbingly clear. He could easily pass for Edwards's father, but she knew that couldn't be right. Edward had told her the reason he was on the flight in the first place was to make it to his father's funeral.

Sloth made to drop her again before the man spoke.

"Don't hurt her Sloth; you must be careful with something so fragile."

Sloth grunted, but obeyed the order. He slowly lowered her to the ground before retreating back out of the room and disappearing down the hallway.

Winry lay on the ground for a second before Bradley reached her. Bending down, the man pulled out a knife. She closed her eyes as he came closer, she wasn't sure she wanted to look death in the face. But instead of feeling pain, she felt the binds around her wrists and ankles release.

Blinking up in surprise, she felt her mouth drop open in confusion. Why would he cut her loose? Not wanting to waste the opportunity, she adjusted her arm in the makeshift sling from Ed's shirt. Wincing, she took a look down at her dirt smeared clothes and the scratches of blood that ran across her arms. What a mess she had found herself in.

Feeling resolute, she stepped defiantly towards the man in the chair, "What do you want with us?"

He took a deep breath, his motions appeared weak even from her stance. Slowly he spoke, "Winry, that's a rather unusual name."

Winry found herself staring dully at him. "How did you know my name?"

He didn't look at all disturbed by her harsh tone. "I know more than a human could ever retain."

She highly doubted that a man living on a deserted island, surrounded by such monsters, could hold a vast amount of knowledge. "What do you want with me?"

He blinked once, twice, before answering. "I want something you have."

She swallowed nervously. Such a statement sounded distinctly perverted, she didn't like where this was going. "What exactly could I have, that you would need?"

He lowered his voice, "You are a talent with those hands of yours. A talent no doubt inherited by your parents who were excellent doctors as you are I presume?"

Winry felt her heart skip a beat. If he had been observing them since they reached the island, he could have found out her name and that she was a doctor, but how would he know about her parents? Feeling unsettled, she broke the silence, "How did you know I was a doctor? How did you even know we were here?"

He continued in the same tone, "There are things that _we_ know about you, that even _you_ don't know yourself."

Feeling extraordinarily more confused and annoyed by their lack of response, she pressed on. "You're bluffing."

He folded his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on the arm rests of his chair. "I know that you blame yourself for your parent's death."

Winry felt her lower lip tremble, but she held steady. "You have no right to speak about them."

The man acted as if she had not spoken. "I know that you decided to take a job halfway across the world, not for the opportunity, but for the excuse to run."

Her mouth opened and closed, but she could think of nothing to say.

"You humans are so trifled by your emotions. You will never be complete with what you have been given. _I_ on the other hand am all that you are not. I have rid myself of sins, the very elements which complicate your short and wasteful human lives."

She wasn't sure she was following this anymore, "If you're the perfect being, then what do you need me for?"

"I want you to create something for me, and only you, who have saved so many lives, can do it. Only someone who plays god can be a candidate."

"Practicing medicine is hardly playing god."

He continued in a serious tone, his expression unyielding. "You have helped bring life forth into this world, most recently a child on this island. You are more qualified than you think."

Winry remembered the recent delivery, but she also remembered her time in the OR. "I have lost as many lives as I have saved, you can't compare the two."

The man didn't flinch, "It is not yet time." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I just had to be sure that you are one of them."

"One of what? How do you know I'll do anything to help you?"

He smiled grimly, "Well that is why we brought him."

Behind her the doors opened again. Selim walked in, his shadow exaggerated in length as it trailed behind him. Sure enough the end of the darkness rounded the corner, revealing his captor. Edward had black shadows over his mouth, wrists and ankles. His eyes widened as he caught sight Winry, but he dropped to his knees once he looked at the man in the chair. An incredulous horror flashed across his features.

The man turned his gaze back to Winry, "I am sure you do not want any harm to come to your friend... do you?"

Her chest rose several times with panicked breaths as she fought back the tears. Shaking her head, she managed to stifle her sobs. Now was not the time for crying. "No, please. I will do what you want."

He nodded his head. "Then come forward."

Edward struggled violently as she answered his summons. She didn't have any other option. Even if they were lying and they intended on hurting Edward, at least she could use herself to buy them some time.

"Closer."

A deep aura of forbidding crawled along her skin as she stepped through the wires, stopping inches away from his grasp.

His hand shot up, grabbing her broken arm. She expected great pain, she expected him to hurt her…she didn't expect the sensation that warmed her body. A soft glow lit the room as he held onto her, his eyes closed. Winry heard Edward continue to struggle against his binds in an attempt to come to her rescue, but she was too floored to comprehend any of it.

His eyelids opened a fraction before he removed his hand. She saw it before she really felt it. The fingers wriggled without restriction, the pain nonexistent. It was as if she had never broken her arm in the first place. Awed, she slowly slid her arm out of the sling, her mouth gaping open. Bending and flexing her arm she knew she had just crossed the last line between reality and crazy town. There was no way he had just healed her arm by touching it.

She was about to ask him a million and one questions about his one act of kindness, when the floor shifted. The lights blinked, her vision blurred.

His order was short and powerful. "Sleep now."

Winry found it hard to resist his voice; it was easy to listen to his command. The scary chamber faded away as she floated into dreams.

Wet; something wet was dragging across her face.

Smelly; whatever was so close to her had the breath of a dog.

Opening her eyes, she found the overwhelming comfort of seeing a familiar face. Sitting up, she encircled Alexander into her arms. "Oh thank goodness you're alright."

Once she had released the loving animal, her mind began to whirl. A quick look down and a simple stretch of her arm reaffirmed her thoughts. Her arm was completely healed, as were the rest of her bruises and cuts. Once her concerns eased, she heard his name reverberate within her.

Edward.

Her head twisted around in search of the blonde. A relieved rush of air escaped her lungs, Edward was lying beside her. His wounds were healed as well, his chest rising as if he were in a peaceful sleep. She nervously scanned the forest around them, expecting the creatures to spring forth on them. But nothing moved and Alexander remained silent. Feeling apprehensive, she turned her gaze up, this time the missing puzzle piece created a whole new puzzle.

Hanging, as it had before, was the plane up in the trees. It was as if they had never even moved. Could it be possible…did she really dream all of that?

She brushed the single tear that had fallen down her cheek. What kind of place was this?


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I am so sorry if I have caused any confusion. This story is based off of the Manga so there is no Dante and Sloth is in fact a big monster. I have tweaked a lot of things so it does not match up to the Manga perfectly, but I do try to keep the same characters. On a side note, thank you for being such great readers! It is so rewarding to receive your reviews!

Chapter 7:

Death isn't a question or an option, it's a given. Everyone's life will end no matter who they are. It was an easy concept to understand, it was the rule of nature. So why was there a dead man, living and breathing in front of him? Of all the things that could make him question his sanity, seeing his dead father alive was most certainly on the top of the list.

He sank to his knees under the weight of what he was seeing. It was impossible. In all his years in the service, he had yet to see something that truly shocked him anymore. The reason he was on the flight in the first place was because of that man. How, how could he be sitting there as if the past 16 years had never passed? The only thing that could overshadow this disaster was the woman in front of him. They had taken this too far, had she not been through enough already? The blood rushed to his head as he heard his father speak to Winry.

The dark bonds, that constricted his movements, tightened as he struggled to fight them off. So they were going to use him as leverage to make her do what they wanted. It was a fairly well known ploy, to force someone with a good heart to yield to a cruel plan. As much as he wished she would selfishly let him take the fall, he knew she would rather martyr herself. She was the woman who devoted her life to saving others, but who would save her?

He was her only hope at this point and while things looked desperate he needed to figure it out. Looking for a way out of the cramped space, he tuned into every detail around him. The room had a rustic smell to it, the cement walls chipped and cracked. The dingy quarters looked as if it had seen its share of damage. What he couldn't deduce from his surroundings was what all the wires were for. It appeared that his father was hooked up to a number of different cables, each different in color and size. Though that should be a big enough mystery in itself, there was something else. There was a rather big mystery yet to be revealed, a piece of information that was beginning to make his head spin. His father looked exactly how he remembered him. To the tee, nothing had changed, besides his wardrobe, since the last time he had seen him. The last time he had seen his father was when he was 4 years old. The man in front of him hadn't aged a day since. It was scientifically impossible for someone to not age, but it was also impossible for someone to bind another with shadows and another thing entirely for his dead father to be alive. He was starting to think the crash had really killed him and this was some sick version of an afterlife. Then again…he didn't believe in an afterlife.

While he had been distracted by his surroundings, Winry had been called to the man's side. For someone so strong and lively, she looked rather fragile and breakable in the dim light. He could tell she was petrified and he didn't blame her, being kidnapped by a group of creeps would scare anyone. He would have been horrified himself, if he wasn't so angry at what they were putting her through. No one deserved to be treated like this, especially not Winry.

Edward watched helplessly as the man suddenly grabbed her broken arm. There was a strange emptiness to his eyes that made Ed wonder if he even possessed a soul. His throat constricted as he waited for her cries, but they never came. Instead of causing her pain, he observed a strange glow that began to surround where the man's hand rested. Once his hand retreated from her, Winry moved her arm as if it had never been broken. Her mouth fell open in shock. He was sure at this point that one of them could have turned into a duck and he wouldn't have been surprised. It wasn't until he watched her body waver and fall that he lost it. The anger, which had been dispersed momentarily behind his curiosity, flared again. He thrashed against the binds, his muscles burning with the strain, but the shadows never yielded and the boy showed no signs of retreat.

The man who resembled his father appeared to be sizing him up before he made a hand gesture towards him. "Release him Selim."

Edward face planted onto the floor as the binds quickly withdrew back to the boy's original shadow. He coughed as his lungs began to fill quickly with air. Getting to his feet, he staggered for a moment before crossing the distance towards the blonde girl on the floor. He wasn't the doctor; he didn't have the skills to even determine what was wrong. He was really regretting his choice of a career path; it was proving to be as useless as the father he had once believed to be dead.

Bradley cut the silence with his assertive speech, "She's not dead."

He said those words as if Ed should be thankful that of all the horrible things they had done at least they had her life. Edward cradled her in his arms, his head a mess of fear and anger. Winry's head slumped backwards over his arm as he picked her up. No one made a move in his direction as he stood, clutching Winry's body almost painfully to his chest. His eyes flashed maliciously. "What have you done to her?"

Bradley remained unfazed, his expression neutral. "It is in her best interest to keep her unconscious while in our company. She doesn't need to be bothered by the finer details we have yet to discuss."

Edward was flabbergasted; where the hell did he get off thinking he was actually keeping her best interests in mind? If he wasn't carrying Winry in his arms, he would have lunged at the man. Feeling like a caged animal he could only snarl at them. No matter how angry they made him, he needed to think of the big picture. He was outnumbered and ill-equipped to deal with this man and his cronies.

The big question was still sitting before him. This bearded man with golden eyes was a deeper mystery than all the others. The resemblance between this man and his father was uncanny and deeply disturbing. "Dad? Just what the hell are you?"

He met Edwards gaze head on. "Oh I am father, but you are not my son." The stagnant air intensified under his penetrating gaze, "But I am pleased that _you_ are exactly who I thought you were."

The sick intrigues were pissing him off; perhaps this man was related to his father somehow? The resemblance was too close to be ignored. He was beginning to feel like a broken record. "ENOUGH! Who the hell are you people? What do you want from us?"

"Hmm, perhaps he was telling the truth. Hohenheim was very reluctant to reveal your presence to me. Though, I admit, I was skeptical about what information he may have passed on. Clearly, there was no need for me to worry." He smiled serenely and Ed almost forgot how untrustworthy they all were.

The pile of useless information was building up and this father character continued to speak to Edward without answering a single one of his questions. It felt like he wasn't even listening to him, and as much as Edward wanted to learn about these creatures he was past his limit.

Father twined his fingers together setting them in his lap. "The fates have played right into my hands; I wasn't expecting you two so soon."

Tired of playing around, he clutched Winry tight in his arms. "Let us go." His jaw clenched, "If you know everything about us, then you should _know_ that we have nothing to give you."

Father simply lifted the corners of his lips into a faint smile. "Oh, but you do have something to give. I just have no need for it right now. It would be best if you did not seek us out. We will find you when the time comes."

Edward waited to catch a moment of weakness, a sign that Father was human, but it never came. It was his last words that lingered in his head. Despite the perfect conviction in father's voice, Ed found a small flicker of hope. They were not going to be forced to do anything just yet. No matter how bad the circumstances looked, he knew things could always be worse. That seemed to be the calling card of this place and as if on cue, the dark shadow found him again. The boy's black eyes stared mercilessly at him and he began to understand why the others did not question this small child. Before he could resist, Selim's force closed out the yellow light, pulling him under.

The black shadow began to lift as sunlight penetrated the light skin of his eyelids. A cool hand pulled away from his forehead as he began to catch his bearings. Immediately, his thoughts flew to the monsters and his instinct told him to fight. They wouldn't catch him off guard a second time. Not bothering to get a good look he slammed the figure to the ground, pinning them to his will.

The light from above caught the silky blonde hair below him and he knew he had been wrong. The fighting instinct left him as quickly as it had come. Replacing his instinctual self-preservation mode he suddenly felt his cheeks burn. Lying helplessly under him were the familiar eyes of endless oceans. He was breathless and ashamed. He was beginning to feel the teenage, adolescent urges that he had always been warned about but never really felt come into fruition that is until now.

Her quiet murmur broke him from his daydreams.

"Edward?" She looked cautiously at him, a blush stealing her features as she witnessed the hand that was pressing her chest down.

His cheeks heated up as he quickly pulled his hand back. He needed to focus; they didn't have time for his stupid hormones. To his utter dismay his voice cracked on her name, "Winry."

He could feel her pulse racing under her skin and the blush rise up in her cheeks. Her curves felt so real and soft below him that it was like holding a steak in front of a hungry lion. He reminded himself that she wasn't for eating and he wasn't an animal. It was time to clear his head, get back into survival mode. Instead, he just lay frozen on top of her. He knew he needed to move, but his body was enjoying this a little too much.

Her delicate features looked cloudy with indecision. She quietly stared at him, but there looked like an unspoken conversation in her eyes. It was an alluring addition to her already attractive presence and while he could ignore it, he didn't want to. Her strawberry pink lips pulled him closer, like a magnet to metal. The proximity left him breathless, his body so close he could make out every hue of color there was to see in her eyes. She winced slightly and he realized just what he was doing. What an idiot, here he was thinking of how sweet her lips would taste when she was clearly wishing he would get off her. He rolled off of her quickly, leery of what he had just done.

Ed cleared his throat. "Are you alright?"

She took the hand he offered and they both rose to their feet. The tension was thick with words neither of them were ready to say. She had no idea the kind of effect she was having on him and he was bothered that he couldn't help himself. He could barely stand a few feet from her without wanting to pull her close. It wasn't until Alexander began to nudge at their legs that the two of them snapped out of their revere.

The previous events began to recap themselves in his head. A haunted look pulled through Winry's façade. "Tell me it was a nightmare…please."

No matter how badly he wanted to lie to her, the lines never came. There was no pretending and with a weary sigh he spoke the truth. "It certainly seems like one."

Her body began to tremble and those blue eyes looked misty with fear. He hated seeing someone so strong look so weak. Ed didn't have an excuse to explain the urge within his limbs to hold her; she had already fallen into his arms. Her salty tears left wet trails down his bare chest, her sobs quieting as he slowly stroked her back. In his life he had never been good with comforting someone so he simply continued to rub her back and hope the tears stopped.

He understood now why the plane he was on had crashed onto this horrible island. Meeting Winry was too much of a good thing for his life to handle. His future had to compensate for the new amount of happiness he had found. Somewhere someone was pulling the strings but it was never in his favor.

Winry reluctantly stood apart from him, her gaze unfocused. He too felt the gap between them, letting her out of his embrace left him feeling empty. "What are we going to do?"

Alexander, who had been silent so far, whined impatiently at their side. He looked spooked by the dark shadows in the forest. Ed felt it too; something was in the air that made him uneasy. He couldn't deny the strange chill that creeped up his spine as he watched the shadows fade and reappear in the changing canopy of sunlight above them. He was not going to let them ever touch her again. If anything, he needed to make sure of that. Putting a hand to his head he racked his brain for information they could use. Speaking his thoughts aloud, he began to pace the space. "Do you think their names were rather strange?"

She involuntarily shuddered, as the names brought faces to her mind. Her face pale as she revisited the events. "Selim, Bradley, Envy, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony and Father."

Edward tried to figure out the missing link. Then it hit him, "Pride and Wrath, Selim and Bradley had code names too."

Winry looked confused. "But we're missing one." She repeated their names again. "Greed, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony, Wrath and Pride? Edward those are only six of the seven deadly sins."

He wasn't sure where this was going, but they freaked him out. Why were they codenamed after the seven deadly sins? Worse, they had yet to meet the final one. He did know one thing for sure. "I don't believe Father has a codename like the rest."

Winry nodded her head in agreement, "I didn't think so either. Besides they all bared the mark except for Father." Her hand subconsciously began to run the length of her previously broken arm. Her voice lost its determination in an instant. "I just don't get it. Why would he heal our wounds before he let us go? "

Alexander suddenly jerked his head towards the forest, the hair rising on his back. His muzzle pulled back, revealing his pointed teeth as he growled. A rustling out in the darkness made them jump. Winry closed the distance between them, her body assuming a defensive stance. He knew she was thinking what he was. They couldn't be back for them, could they?

Ed could feel his chest rise and fall with an increased sense of danger. He whipped his head around as the noise came again. His eyes widened in caution as the faceless creature stalked them from the dark. The shadows had a daunting effect as they remained motionless to its presence. Ed could picture the boy striking at them from the unknown depths surrounding them. The suspense thickened as he caught sight of a streak of red and black. Something was definitely out there. He pulled Winry close to his side; he wouldn't let them hurt her again. That, he would make sure of.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" His voice echoed menacingly back at them.

This time he was positive he had seen someone dart behind a tree. He could feel Winry's racing heart as it mimicked his. Dread filled the pit of his stomach as the rustling drew closer. "COWARD, SHOW YOURSELF!"

His body tensed as a figure stepped out from behind a tree, not far from where they stood. At first, all he could make out in the shadows was a flash of red and black. As the figured stepped forward, he began to see the outlines of a very curvy woman. Her dark hair fell in soft waves around her face. The red dress on her body was near ruin as it lay scandalously across her, barely covering her body.

Cautiously, she stepped forward, her hands slowly rising in a peaceful gesture.

"Stop right there." He didn't care if she was a woman, they didn't have the luxury of being careless. She followed his command, her sultry swagger halted for the moment.

"Who are you?"

The woman looked at each of them in turn. "Please, my name is Solaris. The plane I was on crashed here about a week ago."

Winry slowly untangled herself from his embrace. "What flight number was it?"

Solaris gave her a pleading look. "I was on flight 190, the part that's hanging right over your heads."

Edward folded his arms across his chest, his suspicions still roused as he watched Alexander continue to glare at her. "So what happened to the rest of the passengers?"

She dabbed at her eyes, but Edward never saw any tears fall. "All of us who survived the crash managed to get down. We set up camp for the night, but in the morning…everyone was gone." She peered up at him from under a thick set of eyelashes, "I tried looking everywhere, but it's as if they were never here at all. I was starting to think I was crazy."

Of all the things she had said, he actually believed that part more than the others. The place _was_ already brimming to the edge with its mysterious darkness and uncharted territory. He couldn't help himself, "Did you see anyone, anyone who looked like me?"

She tilted her head to the side in thought before she answered. "There was a man who looked like you, but he was certainly taller and had shorter hair."

Edward stifled his urge to scream at her for the pun on his height. Really, he was not that short.

Solaris gave them each a pained expression, "Please, I am all alone. Please help me!"

As usual, Winry took the reins, "We are survivors from flight 190. The rest of the passengers are at the crash site of the tail end of the plane."

He could have sworn he saw an evil glint in Solaris's eyes, but the sweet look of innocence was such a drastic change that he was sure he had just imagined it. Frowning he shook his head, "We need to get ourselves back to camp." He was starting to feel edgy as the shadows darkened with the passing time.

Winry placed a hand on his shoulder, apprehension in her gaze. "Edward, what about Alphonse?"

Taking a deciding breath, he motioned them forward. "We need to be better prepared. I think we've stretched our luck a little too far for now."

Making their way back to the crash site was fairly easy. He could not have been more grateful for Winry's cleverness in tying pieces of red fabric along their initial path. Especially with Solaris joining them, their movement would have been quite the ordeal. The woman was wearing heels and as chivalrous as Ed could be towards Winry, he was not about to carry Solaris. Winry caught his eye several times when he had to stifle a laugh at the woman's up surd attempt at moving with a sultry seduction. It just wasn't practical and it had no effect on him whatsoever. So who the hell was she trying to impress?

Upon their arrival at the beach, the sun had already sunk low on the horizon. Several voices surrounded them as their presence drew the attention of the people. It was a rush of faces and while he was happy to see them he hated being in the limelight. Familiar faces such as Gracia, Elicia, Havoc, Sadilla and her baby were more comforting than he would have thought.

The place had definitely changed in the time they had been gone. A row of makeshift tents and campsites had been built alone the shoreline. It appeared that most of the people had come to their same conclusion and it was best to prepare for a long haul. As much as he was convinced he needed to save them all, he was hit with the possibility that he might not be the only one taking the burden. The worn faces and efforts towards survival was evident everywhere he looked.

Havoc quickly took over watching out for Solaris, his helpful hand guiding her along. Ed watched as he led her down the beach thinking that Jean might have other motives than common courtesy. He turned around once and Ed could have sworn he saw him mouth 'thank you'.

After being bombarded with a million and once questions, Edward was finally able to escape. Rescuing Winry from the same fate, as well as a few admiring men, they were able to finally have a moment alone.

"Back for only an hour and already your turning heads?" He muttered kicking at the sand with his foot.

Winry rolled her eyes, a smirk building on her face, "You sound jealous."

He grunted, not really answering her, but feeling as if she had summed it up quite nicely. "I don't get jealous."

Winry chuckled, a knowing grin on her face. "Unhuh, sure."

They began to walk along the shoreline, the campfire lights slowing dimming in the distance behind them. It wasn't until they were a ways down the beach that he realized he wanted to be alone with her. There were a few things on his mind, a few things he knew needed to be shared with her. He was going back to search for his brother, but there was no way he was going to risk her life again. The loneliness sank in as he thought of leaving her behind, even though he knew it was the proper thing to do. He convinced himself that it was better this way.

She shivered, her arms wrapping around her torso to try and keep warm. Putting his arm around her shoulders he pulled her into his side. She looked up in surprise at him, but didn't pull away. The shivers died away as she huddled closer to his side. "Do you think we should tell them?"

"Tell them what?"

She looked up at him, "About what happened to us."

Ed had thought about that, and he knew it would do more harm than good. "No, we don't want to panic them. It's better that we just leave our story at the site of the plane and end it there."

Winry stopped walking, her face folding in worry. "We should probably head back."

He knew they had walked pretty far, but it made it easier for him to do the thing he had been thinking about. He didn't answer her with words. His hand slowly trailed up her arm until it rested under her jaw. The moonlight reflecting off the water illuminated her so beautifully in the dark of night. With thoughts of leaving still fresh in his mind he knew it was now or never.

Leaning in, he pulled her close to him. Her eyes fluttered shut as he moved closer. His lips barely brushed hers when a strained voice broke them apart.

"Brother?"

Ed jerked his head up to see Alphonse standing down the beach from him, his clothes covered in blood. As if he had barely made it that far, his younger brother screamed at them before he fell to the ground. "RUN!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

The warning went unheeded as both Winry and Edward rushed to the man's side. He had long since fallen to the ground in defeat, his last words echoing across the space between them. Winry saw the tenderness rip through Edwards's expression as he fell alongside his younger brother's body. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

The line between being emotionally involved and professionally efficient was a careful tightrope of decisions. Emotion was the key to being a good doctor. But she knew not to let it take a hold of her, for fear of it hindering her logical thought process in favor of her own personal feelings. However there was truth in emotional involvement being the key to her being able to pull herself through midnight shifts and long surgeries. Difficult as it was, her passion for helping others burned like torch in a darkened cave. If not for her prior training, she was sure that all the knowledge she had obtained would have proved of little help to her in this disaster. But as she stared at Alphonse and the misery in Edwards eyes she felt an unbearable pain and fear that made her doubt herself.

Edward hovered over his brother in a frozen state of shock. The sight of his brother covered in blood was not the way they had hoped to find him. As Edward began to shake, Winry came to her senses. Pushing Ed to the side, she maneuvered Alphonse so that she could better assess his condition. His vitals checked out, but where was all the blood coming from? A crimson red stained her hands as she worked her way through a check list of possible injuries. The obvious wound appeared once she had managed to move his arms from his stomach, revealing a deep laceration that stretched across his abdomen. The loss of blood was her most pressing concern as it brought several complications to mind. She neither had the tools nor the supplies to be able to work on him. Edward just stared in shock as she worked on his brother. Tearing off Al's shirt, she quickly used the material to put pressure on the wound.

She tried to keep the panic out of her voice as she addressed him. "Ed, we have to get your brother back to camp. He needs stitches and I have to clean this out." Her hands quivered as she felt the warm blood seep through the cloth.

Edward nodded his head in response, his mouth in a tight line of disbelief. With a heavy grunt of exertion, he picked his brother up and began to move back to camp. Winry chanced a glance behind them, what could have done this? The wound was singled out in one stroke, the work of a rather wicked blade. Any other abrasion would have merited other significant damage on his body. Was he lucky that that was his only wound, or were they all in terrible danger because it was something else?

Although her gut instinct told her to not dismiss the warning of Al's; she felt his life held a higher importance at the moment. She needed to find supplies and fast. Racing ahead of Edward, she ran full speed towards camp. She followed the lights until they brightened into fires, the shapes articulating into figures and then faces. Without introduction, she skipped the preamble. "I need the first aid kit!"

Mrs. Hughes looked at her through a horrified gaze. "Winry…you're covered in blood, what happened? Where's Edward?"

A panicked edge crept into her words, "There's no time for that. Someone's been hurt; I need to know where the supplies are."

One of the tougher looking men stepped forward, she couldn't be sure, but she thought his name was Breda.

"There's nothing left of it." His face looked dark with the pain of what he had seen. "There wasn't much to it to begin with, but there was an incident a few days ago."

An incident? How had she managed to forget that they were all on borrowed time? She noticed his reluctance and decided it was better to find out about it later. Winry shut her eyes to stop from panicking. She needed to focus her thoughts in an attempt to remain calm.

"Does anyone have a sewing kit? I need some kind of disinfectant, see if there are some of those shots of alcohol that are still bottled with the other drinks."

Sadila spoke up through the crowd. "There is a small sewing kit in my luggage."

Winry nodded in affirmation, "Quickly, there isn't much time."

When she returned from Sadila's tent, she found Edward already there with Alphonse. A group had gathered around the two of them. Among the group she noticed Havoc, Solaris nearly attached to his side. Winry resisted the bile that rose in her throat as she watched the woman continue to bat her eyes at the man. How she could flirt with him as if there wasn't a dying man a mere foot away from them made her feel sick. Her thoughts were torn away when she heard Edwards temper flare out. He looked as if he was also in the same fragile state of mind. "If you didn't come to help, back off!"

A stunned silence rocked the group as his remark left them in the wake of his pain. Fuery breathlessly stumbled to Winry's side, a few small bottles of Vodka in his hands. The small shots of alcohol were the best she was going to come up with in this place, so she took it. Upon removing the shirt, she felt the warm, red liquid spill onto her hands. Biting her lip in concentration, she dabbed at the wound with the shirt before using the alcohol to sterilize the deep cut.

Swallowing hard, she began to stitch up his wound as fast as her precision would allow. Once she was done, she looked around for something to cover his fresh wounds. Without thinking about her position, she shrugged off the oversized shirt that had once been Ed's. Using the material as a bandage she looked down at her bloodied hands, a feeling of failure on her hands. With a sigh, she wearily sat back on her heels, dragging a hand across her forehead. "That's the best I can do, we need to get him some antibiotics."

Edward ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he looked around the camp. "No one is to go out by themselves. We don't know what happened to my brother, but it's obviously still out there."

A murmur of horror stretched through the crowd as they fathomed what on earth could do such a thing. Winry could hear her heart pounding in her chest, she knew of creatures that were more than capable of such things.

"We should lay him down where we can monitor him better."

Sadila caught her arm, "Follow me dear."

Following the woman, they carried Al to the shelter that had been created by Sadila's husband while they were away. The man held open the front flap to allow them entrance. Before Winry could follow Ed and Al, Lear held her back.

"It's yours."

Her forehead wrinkled in question, "What is?"

Lear's face warmed kindly. "I know it's not equivalent to what you have done for us, but please accept it with my deepest gratitude."

Sadila gestured towards the settlement, "We thought you two would want someplace to stay when you got back, it's the least we can do. After all you did save both my son and my life."

Winry felt a lump rise in her throat as she looked at their generous offer. Given the chance, people had a way of making the world beautiful again. "It's perfect, thank you." But she didn't have time to dwell on their kindness.

Lear halted her, "Please, let us know if we can be of any help."

She nodded curtly before heading inside the tent. Stepping inside, she noticed two rows of seats set up as make shift cots. More importantly and to her utter relief, two bags of luggage sat in the middle. She had never in her life been so excited to see clothes. However, her relief at seeing such luxuries at hand couldn't overtake the overwhelming feeling of sadness that lingered around her. Edward was slumped up against one of the rows of seats, his brother's body lying along the seats behind him.

His head fell into his hands. "He's going to be alright…right?"

Winry stared at the pale form of Al, her emotions getting the better of her. Bowing her head in apology she whispered her answer. "I don't know."

She stood in front of the two brothers feeling incredibly lost. "I'm so sorry."

Just as her lower lip began to tremble, Edward picked up his head to look at her. Slowly he put his arms out, beckoning her to his side. She sank next to him feeling defeated. He buried his head into her neck, making her face flush with heat. The feeling of his breath against her neck had suddenly brought back the almost kiss only hours before. Somewhere between seeing death and watching it turn on you, something had changed. She wondered if he felt it too.

Winry awoke early the next morning to find that she had fallen asleep in Edwards lap. His shirtless body left little to the imagination and everyplace where his skin touched hers had suddenly come alive. Swallowing hard, she tried to stir without waking him. Standing on her feet, her joints popped in a deep stretch. Sleeping in such an awkward position was bound to leave its marks. Quietly, she stepped over Ed's sleeping form to get a better look at his brother. All his vitals checked out, but a feverish burning was taking over his body at the moment. Looking around, she decided to go seek out some water. He must be dehydrated, and from the looks of her hands, she _needed_ to wash herself before handling his wounds. Grabbing a fresh change of clothes and a hollowed out coconut shell she silently left the small enclosure. Surely it wouldn't take too long. Edward would probably still be asleep when she came back.

Looking around, she really didn't feel comfortable bathing in front of the entire camp. Feeling self-conscious, she traveled a considerable distance down the shore before removing what was left of her clothing. Even if it appeared that everyone was still fast asleep she didn't want to risk being caught buck naked. Why the simple modesty took ahold of her after everything was a mystery. Quickly, she descended into the waves, her body relaxing as the water washed away the red liquid. She waded out far enough that her body was submerged in the sea. She dove under the water, ready to wash the blood from the remainder of her body and the tangles in her hair. Breaking the surface she was about to swim to shore, when she nearly jumped from her own skin. Standing along the shore looking from the pile of clothes to her direction was a young man.

She felt a blush rise steadily in her face, her conscious begging him to leave her be. What was someone from their camp doing all the way down here? Well that was a stupid question, because what was _she_ doing all the way down there. Although she had inspected every one of the passengers who had been on their end of the plane, why couldn't she remember his face? While questions whirled around in her mind she felt the blood fade quickly from her face. The man was running at her now, but it was the weapon clutched in his hands that made her suddenly fear more than embarrassment. Frozen in shock, she barely had time to register her circumstance before the shot of a gun echoed through the air.

The water spiked up from the bullets pathway, her shriek pelting through the air. The sight of blood in the water made her fear more than the missed shot. It was then that she truly understood the words that were leaving the man's mouth. He barked the same sentiment over and over again till she began to move. His warnings had begun to translate into movement on her part.

The dangers of nature had been progressively surmounting every day that she had carelessly pushed them aside entirely. The idea that the blood washed from her skin could attract unwanted carnivores had slipped her mind.

The man's long, dark hair was slicked back into a ponytail, his eyes shrewd as he stood still in a remarkably pristine white suit. She swam as quickly as her legs would propel her forward. The shark which had come so close to her was now floating belly up in her wake. She was just about to reach shore when she felt the breeze tickle her skin. Her arms quickly tried to cover her body, why was it so easy to forget little things like modesty in the aftermath of near death experiences? This was becoming too common place in her affairs on this damn island.

She didn't miss the careful smirk on his face, but she was too well aware that he had just saved her life. The man retreated at her horrified squeak of embarrassment. Turning his back on her, she heard him call out.

"I won't turn around. Although, I do suggest you do it quickly. Sharks don't respond well to blood."

Winry hazarded a glance around before tearing from the mysterious water. Her own mistake weighed heavily on her mind, mistakes were deadly out here and she should have known better. What would Edward have done if he had seen her rush into the water covered in blood…what if he had seen her discard her clothes? The last thought made he nearly skid to halt in her haste to hide herself in the comfort of her own clothing. Not a minute too soon she had pulled the tank top over her head and the shorts up her legs. The man was already turning when she finished tying the draw string on her shorts. Despite him saving her life, she felt the marks of peril encircling his aurora. Just who was he, and how did he obtain a gun?

The man clearly saw the gears turning in her head as he followed her gaze to the gun handle in his back pocket. "Don't be frightened, my name is Zolf Kimbley. I had this on me from the beginning; I am part of airport security."

Airport security, just how stupid did he think she was? In hindsight it probably wasn't the best practice to start questioning a strange man with a gun, but her suspicious were more than just aroused. There was a hint of jest, but she was really trying to get a feel for just who this man was. "Airport security, really?"

When he didn't dispute this, she shook her head in a disbelieving motion. "You're a little lost aren't you?"

He smirked at her cheeky response, but had one of his own. "Well aren't we all lost out here?"

She didn't know a lot about flying, but she wasn't too sure if she believed they actually allowed someone to bring a gun on a plane. "Funny, I don't remember seeing you on our plane. Shouldn't you have been watching us board the plane?"

Kimbley laughed audibly, his features bending in a rather awkward smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "No, I am merely along for the ride, ready to take action should _something_ happen." He indicated to the gun in his pocket.

As if she needed a reminder that he was holding a weapon. Winry narrowed her eyes. She should have probably feared being alone with this stranger, but he _had_ saved her life. "Why haven't I seen you at camp?"

He made a face, his shoulders shrugging. "I plan on surviving."

Winry fought off the urge to throw something at him. What kind of game was he playing at? "What makes your chances all alone higher than ours?"

She swallowed hard as he stepped closer to her.

"Don't let numbers fool you girl. When it comes down to it, we are all on our own." His cocky grin faded for a moment as he moved even closer. "But since you do seem to be a woman of great character…"

She flinched as his eyes surveyed her shape.

"…it seems my luck has just changed. Considering that I saved your life, it is only right for you to return the favor. Until the next we meet, I hope I fill your thoughts."

With a careful wink, he turned on his heel, walking off in the distance. His walk mimicked a kind of swagger that distinctly reminded her of predator circling its prey. Not wanting to spend another moment near the man, she turned opposite him and headed back. It spooked her more than she would have liked to admit. When she chanced a glance behind her, he was nowhere to be seen. The man in the white suit suddenly seemed more like a nightmare than the creatures of the dark.

As she began to make out the markings of their camp, she fleetingly remembered her original task. Carefully, she filled the hollow coconut she had brought with her with the cool water of the ocean. It would not be pleasant on a cut, but for the purpose of lowering his temperature it would have to do. The sound of barking lifted the nervous burden from her shoulders as the familiar large dog nearly tackled her in his excitement at her presence. Winry braced herself, determined not to spill the water. Just as she was about to bend down to stroke Alexander's back, she noticed they were not alone.

Edward came running around the bend, his body freezing when he caught sight of her standing with Alexander. They stood staring at each other for a moment, before he crossed the distance between them. In one swift motion, he had engulfed her in a bone crunching hug.

His voice drew husky with breathless emotion. "You're all right."

When he finally released her, she found it hard not to gawk. "Why wouldn't I be?"

It was hard now to not notice the worry lines that creased his forehead along with his hectic appearance. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been? Imagine how I felt when I woke up to the sound of a gunshot and you're nowhere to be found!" His voice inched up in volume. "Just what where you doing?"

Winry frowned, had he really been that worried about her? "I was cleaning myself and bringing water to try and bring your brothers fever down."

His scowl fueled her stubborn resolve. "Should I have woken you up to explain myself?"

He glared at her for a second and then his expression slipped. Anguish traced itself along his words. "I just heard the shot and I thought…I thought-" His voice turned husky once again as his gaze pierced right through her. "I thought I might have lost you."

The space between them was no longer a distance she could bare. It seemed only right that they should finish what they had started. Neither of them noticed the wet Alexander trotting up from the ocean water.

He truly had a knack for timing.

As if he had planned it all along, the large dog proceeded to shake his body out. Soaking both of them and effectively ruining the moment. As Winry brushed herself off, she patted the dog reluctantly on the head. "It's a good thing you're so cute."

She thought she heard Ed grumble something about a damn dog, but she was already distracted by another thought. With a sigh, she looked back towards their camp. "I should really head back to check on your brother."

That shook Ed out of his stupor, his eyes looking past her. "Wait, so you didn't hear any shot?"

The very unpleasant image of that man struck her but she wasn't sure what to do. Should she tell him about the strange man and risk watching him going off in search of him? Or could she pretend nothing happened to avoid making him leave both his brother and her? Neither sounded like a good idea, but she was more afraid of him meeting this Kimbley guy then her own safety. For now she would hold this secret and hope that he would never come looking for her to repay him in kind. Feigning ignorance is harder than it looks.

"I didn't hear anything."

Winry sat with her legs folded under her weight as she dabbed at Al's face. Edward had reluctantly left moments before to help the familiar group consisting of Fuery, Breda, Falman and Havoc in search of a nearby stream of fresh water. The supply of water bottles was down to a precious few, not nearly enough to keep their small community going for long.

It startled her when a woman's figure appeared in the sudden light that flooded the tent. Solaris smiled at Winry as she let the flap fall behind her. Stepping forward she gestured towards Alphonse, a sultry slur tainting her words. "How's he doing?"

There really wasn't a reason for her to _not _like Solaris; she just couldn't shake her first impression of the woman. Deciding it best to be polite she laid the rag across Al's head. "His fever had gone down quite a bit and his stitches are looking much better than I thought they would. How are you holding up?"

Her face puckered as if she had not been expecting her kind banter. "Well I was rather pissed to find that both my dress and shoes are beyond repair."

Winry gazed at the red dress and strappy heels. They had marks of ware, but nothing to be complaining about. Feeling rather at a loss as to how to comfort the spoiled girl she bit the inside of her cheek. "Well I have my luggage right other there; you're more than welcome to some of my clothes."

Solaris lips curled up into a luscious smile. "You are too sweet."

Winry turned away to give her some privacy, but her eyes didn't miss the clear tattoo on her chest. Her stomach suddenly churned in a cruel realization. The serpent eating its own tail…the mark on each one of the sins…the missing sin she had yet to meet.

The blood drained out of her face as she stared at Solaris.

The woman looked up at her, an innocent look of concern on her features. "What's wrong doc, you look like you've just seen a ghost."

Winry's hands shook as she stared into the eyes of the final sin.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

The trance of greenery and shadows lured him into a mindless venture as they continued to search for a water source. Exhausted, they finally stopped to take a break. Edward sank on top of a large boulder, his hand reaching up to wipe his brow. No matter how long they had been stranded on the island, he feared he would never get used to the intense humidity and heat it harbored. Throwing back a swig from his water bottle, he relished in its ability to sooth his dry mouth. It was the small comforts in life that he was beginning to miss.

They had finally traced the terrain to a small but rather intricate series of streams that accumulated in a breathtaking waterfall off a steep cliff. Once they had climbed down to the pool of fresh water below they had all taken to the rocks in an attempt to regain some of their strength. It was a beautiful setting to be so somber, but there was no forgetting the events of the past few weeks. They had all come so close to death that even the most sure of men had begun to question just _how _long they did have.

Standing to his feet, he began to fill up the water bottles in his pack. He was exhausted, but sleep meant very little to him at the moment. Rather, two people meant a little bit more. It would take more than the heat to make him forget his unconscious brother or the girl who had saved his life…both his brothers and his. A strange aching throbbed in his chest as he watched the water fill up the plastic containers one by one. He had been so entranced with the remedial task that he didn't notice that the group of men had followed suit. While they bent low to finish up their own bottles and containers, he managed to catch a glimpse of himself in the water. The bile in his throat rose up like a volcano ready to explode. His hand brushed across his chin, it was worse than he remembered. It was undeniable. His body began to shake as he quickly pulled the hair tie out of his long hair, letting it fall limply to his shoulders. The urge to empty his stomach faded as he tried to find what little resemblance to his mother his appearance possessed. There was always a sort of comfort that placated his mind when he thought of his mother.

A hand suddenly came down on his shoulder releasing him from reliving his past. "Ready to go?"

Looking up, he noticed all of them were done, their faces averting his. They waited for him in silence, not questioning his wild hair or the moment he knew had not been private. Desperate to change the focus of the group, he tied his hair back once more. Breda was the first one to catch on. He turned to Havoc effectively directing attention towards something else.

"You and Solaris looked pretty cozy huh."

Havoc could barely stifle his grin, "Yeah, jealous?"

Breda shook his head in earnest, "Nah I don't think I could handle that one. I mean she seems kind of high maintenance to me."

Looking affronted, Havoc's cocky grin quickly faded from his face. "What are you trying to say?"

"Woah there, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just-I mean the girl is still walking around in heels and a cocktail dress."

Edward cringed, if he had been trying to save face he had failed miserably. The murderous look that suddenly taken over Havoc's expression was quite apparent.

Falman quickly tried to intervene on Breda's behalf. "Listen we aren't trying to bash your girl, he was just merely stating a fact. Don't jump down our throats."

Something just didn't seem right. In the time they had known the man, he had rarely gotten angry. The fueling rage only worsened as the silence grew. As if something had snapped, he threw up his arms in frustration. "Give the girl a break she's been by herself this whole time. When we crashed we all had each other, she said she doesn't remember anything but that when she finally came to she was in the middle of the jungle all alone. So what if she wants to be picky about her clothes, we all have a different way to deal with this shit."

Ed held up his hand to stop Jeans rambling. "Wait a minute, she told you she woke up all alone? Alone; as in no plane and no other passengers?"

Havoc sighed in annoyance, "Yeah like I was saying, the girl woke up all alone. There was no sign of anything, of course she's a little traumatized."

The series of events began to unfold in his mind like a row of dominos, one crashing into the next. The appearance of Solaris right after their confrontation with the sins had a new meaning, but even before that. How closely did her tale of the passengers just vanishing around her come to the lie Selim had used on them. His pulse quickened in his chest as realization dawned in his mind. All things led to the ultimate scene that had replayed itself like a broken record, the picture of Al screaming at them to run. Why had it never occurred to him that perhaps he wasn't looking to be saved, but attempting to save them? Feeling the blood drain from his features he stared at Havoc.

"What Elric, you got something you want to say to me?"

Edward didn't _want _to say it. "She told Winry and me that she and the other passengers helped each other escape but then they all just disappeared, she never said she woke up all alone."

Havoc's expression turned incredulous, "You must have heard her wrong." When Ed didn't respond he shook his head in disbelief. "You don't think she-you think she's lying to us?"

Jean began to walk backwards away from them. "Don't look at me like that."

Breda suddenly stepped forward, "Come on Jean look at the facts!"

Something just wasn't adding up and they all felt it. All except for Havoc who was currently looking murderous. He leered at them, his face contorting in disbelief. "What's wrong with you? Are we going to start interrogating one another?"

Breda ran a weary hand through his hair, "Not everyone here is as suspicious as she is."

Havoc threw a punch, nailing Breda in the face. "Don't you dare talk about her like that! You-you stay away from us."

The rest of the group stood in complete shock; the only sound that of Breda's noise cracking as he pushed it back in place. Groaning in pain, Breda wiped the blood from his face. He looked more shocked than angry as Havoc left them standing in his wake.

Falman was the first to break the silence. "It hasn't even been a month and we're already at each other's throats…you ok Heymans?"

Breda shook his head, his expression grim. "Are any of you?"

The depressing air lingered around them like a heavy fog. He wasn't so sure what had just happened. Some kind of catalyst had triggered a wave of uncertainly and fear among them. The fragile fabric that had forged a bond between them was coming undone at the seams.

"We should head back."

His words were accepted at once, as if they had each in turn been thinking the same thing. He would have liked to pretend that he was in control of his own destiny, but he had never felt so lost. As they followed their own trail back to the camp no one spoke. Once they arrived back on the familiar shore, he hastened to his own tent, anxious to see both his brother and Winry. He frowned as he pushed the flap over the entrance to the side. Where did she go? He thought about how she had been distinctly upset that he had freaked out on her for merely going to get water, so he decided to chill for the moment. He had been sitting next to Al for quite some time when he heard his brother mumble something.

Jumping to his feet he leaned over his brother with anticipation. "Al? Al, can you hear me?"

His younger brother winced, his eyes fluttering open. Ed let out a deep exhale. How long had he been holding his breath anyways? Smiling, he shook his head. "You scared the shit out of me Al."

Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a water bottle. After unscrewing the top, he gently held up his brother's head so that he could take a drink. A majority of it ran down his chin, but his brother managed to swallow some of it. Alphonse looked momentarily confused as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. His voice croaked out from lack of use. "Brother? Where are we?"

Edward frowned as he stared at his brothers wound. "We're by the tail end of where the plane crashed. More importantly, where have you been?"

As if a light had been turned on in his head, Al suddenly turned pale.

This didn't look good. "Al, what did this to you?"

His brother looked alarmed, "You didn't see it?"

Ed shook his head, not understanding any of this. "See what? You came out of nowhere shouting at us to run and then you passed out."

Al closed his eyes, his fists clenching. When he opened them again he looked deeply pained. "We were all running and then-then I was alone…and it kept following me."

"What did?"

His younger brother looked fearful, "I don't know _what_ it was. At first I thought it was a woman who was with us, but then…" He indicated to the large slash wound across his chest. "These black, knife like hands came streaking at me. I barely managed to escape." He looked his brother over. "How are you still alive?"

Ed raised his eyebrow, what a rather useless question for the moment. Sarcasm dripped from his voice. "The crash didn't kill me and no animals have succeeded in turning me into their dinner, why do you ask?"

His younger brother rubbed his fingers to his temples, "She-I mean it was right behind you and Winry. It didn't come after you?"

Solving mysteries was never a talent of his, nor was it part of his job description. But there was no doubting the ideas that began to plant themselves in his head. "She? You said you think it was a woman that did this to you?"

Al looked desperately at his older brother, as if he were afraid he might not believe him. Little did Al know that Ed had far more reason to doubt his own sanity than that of Al's.

"Please Ed you've got to believe me! I swear there was a woman…or whatever it was right behind you. I tried to warn you guys to run but then everything went black." He looked shameful as if it had all been his fault. "Am I dead?"

This question, Ed could answer with certainty. "No Al, because if we were dead you wouldn't still be injured."

Al stared down at his stomach, his face constricting in thought. "Who stitched me up?"

Ed had forgotten that his younger brother didn't know Winry as well as he did. He had only met her once, so of course he wouldn't know that she was to thank for saving a lot of their lives. "Winry did, lucky us she's a great doctor."

"Where is she?"

That one little question caught Ed off guard. Where was Winry? "I don't know, when I left she was right by your side." He tried to banish the dangerous thoughts that toyed around with his mind. "I'm sure she just went to get something, she'll probably be back soon."

Alphonse closed his eyes, his lips thinning. He should have known his brother was a martyr; of course he would suffer in silence. "Al, you ok?"

The younger brother nodded his head, his eyes opening once his body had unclenched. "I'm fine…but what of everyone else? I wasn't the only one who survived the crash in my group, but I'm certainly the only one who you found."

Edward shook his head, "No. About a week ago we ran into a woman from your group."

Al immediately brightened at the thought. "Who was it?"

"Solaris."

"I don't remember hearing that name, what did she look like?"

Edward started to laugh, "She's hard to miss; I mean the girl had a red cocktail dress and heels."

Not looking amused, his brother appeared lost in thought. His voice was uncharacteristically low, "Did she have long, wavy, dark hair?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah, one of the guys around here is head over heels for her." He pondered the incident that had occurred that morning. "He even punched a guy for talking bad about her. It's ridiculous, he's only known her for a week and already-"

At the sight of Al trying to sit up by himself, Ed gently pushed him back down. "Hey! If you strain your stomach muscles you're going to open up your stitches!"

Al clutched at his brothers arm, his face paler than before. "ED IT'S HER!"

"What do you mean it's her?" Ed wondered if his brother was delirious. He handed him the bottle of water again. "Here you should keep drinking."

He pushed the water bottle away, annoyance on his features. "Dammit Ed, she's the one that attacked me! That woman was never on our plane!"

Sometimes it takes looking at the big picture to piece together a puzzle. "Shit."

Looking around the tent he noticed Winry's suitcase wide open, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. Lying, discarded on the floor right next to it was a red material. He moved closer, picking it up. Swallowing hard, he let the dress fall through his fingertips. "She was here."

If she was what Al had said, was it possible…could she really be the last sin? As the contents of his stomach lurched, Havoc stumbled through the canvas opening of the tent. His gaze floated around the room till his eyes caught sight of the dress at Ed's feet.

Tackling Ed to the ground he slammed his arm across Ed's neck, pinning him down. "What did you do to her?"

Ed gripped at Havoc's arms, his lungs screaming for air.

"I said, what did you do to her?"

The only thought that could register in his mind was her name. Where was she? It was too hot to struggle and even Al's screams were beginning to ring dull in his ears. He barely noticed Al stumble off the row of seats to take a charge at the assailant. Unprepared for his attack, Havoc lost his hold. Edward gasped in deep breaths as the air returned to his lungs. He immediately stumbled to his feet, going to Al's side. Helping his brother back to the seats, he glared threateningly at Jean. "She's not who you thought she was!"

Jean looked rather crazed as he stood shakily to his feet. His voice cracked out in pain. "Where is she?"

Ed could sense where this was going and it was entirely his fault. He should have never trusted her in the first place. The last domino to fall had been his doing. "There's something I have to tell you."

As crazed as he had initially been, it seemed like logic was slowly filtering through him as Ed began to explain all that had happened to Winry and him. As he spoke, he cursed himself for not seeing the warning signs before. The beauty of hindsight is something he wasn't so sure could be called beauty.

Havoc held his head in his hands as he slumped on the opposite set of seats. "You're saying she's one of them? She's one of these so called monsters?"

This time Al spoke, his eyes widening the entire time Ed had explained it all. "What do they want with us? What are they even doing here?"

"I don't know, all I know is that they want Winry and-" He had left out the crucial detail; one that he knew would hurt his brother. "…the leader, he looked just like dad."

His brother looked as sick as he felt, "Brother he's dead."

"I know that Al. I don't think it was him, but I feel like we're all tied into this somehow. I can't explain it, but I feel like I'm forgetting something really important, something that would make this all make sense."

Jean, who had been silent as the two brothers talked, stood up. "We need to find Solaris. If anyone can straighten this all out, it's her."

Ed folded his hands over his chest, "That's not who we need to find."

"Then who?"

"I need to find Winry."

His heart dropped as he talked to the last person at their camp. They had seen both Solaris and Winry leave together, but no one could remember exactly where they had gone. Taking his pack, he stopped long enough to get Gracia's help. The older woman promised to watch over his brother, her eyes sympathetic to his fear.

"Winry's a strong woman Edward, I'm sure she and Solaris are just fine."

He knew the first part was true, but it was the second part that made him feel distinctly useless. Without really thinking about where he was going, he found himself heading down the same part of the beach he had found her the last time. Relief flooded his body as he caught sight of a girl standing in the oncoming waves, the water splashing up around her ankles. Racing forward, he pulled her into his arms. Any doubt that he had about his feelings towards this girl meant little as he felt her in his arms. There was no denying the emotion that filled him as she sank into his embrace. Not truly realizing or caring what the reaction would be, he grabbed her face into his hands. Ed took one look into her blazing eyes before he let himself go. He pressed his lips to hers quickly, not wanting to lose the chance. Her lips melted into his, her own hands greedily fishing their way up his face, to tangle themselves into his hair. Words wouldn't do him justice, so he continued to let his lips do the talking. It lasted long enough that when they broke apart both of them were gasping for breath. For the first time, he noticed that her face was wet. He wiped his thumb across her cheek, pushing the wet trails away.

"Winry."

She stared into his eyes, her own filled with pain. Her jaw clenched and only his name left her lips. "Edward."

Seeing her look so upset he had a moment of doubt, was he that bad of a kisser? "Winry?"

She began to pull away from him, her eyes looking wet with unshed tears. His guard instantly went up as he caught sight of the man standing off in the distance. "Greed."

The man's unmistakable sunglasses and furred collar were dead giveaways. But what was he doing out here? Was their time up?

Greed kept his distance, his hands stuffed in his pockets, a grin on his features. Before Ed could lunge after the man, Winry pulled at his arm. "Don't hurt him!"

"Winry, don't you know who that is?" He was flabbergasted, how could she not remember?

Her expression hardened as she squeezed onto his arm, "He saved my life."

Greed looked disgusted at having to witness the show of affection between them. "I didn't _try_ to save your life, I just don't like that bitch telling me what to do."

He looked loftily around. "Pissing her off is always fun."

Ed didn't understand what was going on. "Who?"

Winry's jaw clenched, "The final sin, it was Solaris. I lured her down here to try and fight her myself, without getting anyone else involved but-"

Ed's eyes widened in horror at the thought of Winry sacrificing herself to try and save them all. She was too good for her _own _sake. "But what?"

Her breathing became unsteady as she shivered in fear at the memory. "Her hands…they turned into these long, knife like blades. If it wasn't for Greed attacking her, I don't think I would have been able to fight her off."

He glanced over at Greed as he held Winry close. "Why did you do it?"

Greed smirked at the two of them, "She didn't have the right to take what wasn't hers. I will always want what I can't have, but lust will never take what is mine."

Winry was blushing heavily as she stared at Ed's arms around her. He stepped back a little, offering her his hand. She took it readily, her face masked as if to hide her fear from him. It was just like her to pretend to be strong when she had every right to be scared. Winry stared back at Greed who was watching the horizon. "They should know."

He didn't need to ask what she was referring to, but he did anyways. "Know what?"

She looked him dead in the eyes. "They should know that there are things out there, things that could hurt them."

Ed shook his head, "They'll never believe us."

Winry looked apologetic, as if she didn't like what she was about to say. "But they'll believe him." She stole a glance at Greed.

His voice sneered in anger. "We are not taking him back to camp with us. We were lucky that Solaris didn't hurt anyone, we won't get lucky a second time."

Keeping her voice low, she let go of his hand. Hurt etched on her features. "You think I don't know that? He saved my life Edward, whether we want to or not, they have the right to know all that we do. Besides, I don't think he's that bad. He hasn't hurt either of us."

Edward missed the feeling of her hand in his, why was this so complicated? "Yeah well I'm not going to give him the opportunity to try."

The defiance flared in her face. "I didn't ask you to."

She was incredibly breathless when she was determined. It made it that much harder to disagree with her. He turned to Greed. "Won't your friends be pissed that your being buddy buddy with us?"

He pushed his sunglasses down, his eyes narrowing to slits. "They don't own me. I do what I want and besides _this_ looks like fun."

Gritting his teeth, Edward turned his back on the sin. Winry sensed his mood and held out her hand, waiting hesitantly for him to take it. When he did, she moved closer to his side. The fact that she actually seemed to want to be with him was something he needed to make sure he didn't screw up. "We have a lot to explain."

Winry nodded her expression somber. "We've got time; I don't think we're going to be rescued anytime soon."

xxXxx

Greed followed behind them, the grin never fading from his face. He knew that he hadn't won. Solaris would be back, but next time she wouldn't be alone or unprepared. But before the old man executed his stupid plans, he would make sure he had his fun.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Terrified gazes matched one another as the group took in all that they had to say. Greed lingered on the outskirts of the gathering, his lips twitching up at the level of fear among them.

No matter how uneasy the sin made her feel, she knew it was better to keep him in their line of sight as opposed to having him lurk around undetected. They had enough to worry about without adding him to the equation.

Havoc spoke for the first time since they had started explaining everything. "Shouldn't we try to figure out how they came here? If they're living here they must have some connection to reality right? Why are we letting this guy freeload off of us without answering any of our questions?"

Winry bit her lip as she tried to think of an answer for him. The idea had occurred to her too, but as much as she tried to reason that they needed to investigate the group, she couldn't hide the terror that rose within at the thought of meeting them again. Once was enough for a lifetime in her opinion, even having Greed lurking over their shoulders was bad enough.

Greed smiled as her eyes traveled in Havoc's direction. "I'd tell you what we are… but you won't believe me."

Breda growled in annoyance. "In other words you're completely useless to us."

"You just can't see the bigger picture."

Havoc's finger tapped impatiently on his knee, "Bigger picture? No one's coming to rescue us! We're stuck on this damn island. What kind of big picture are _you_ talking about?"

Greed grinned evilly towards Winry, "I don't know. Why don't you ask the doc over there?"

As everyone's heads turned to face her, she felt her mouth drop open in disbelief. What was he trying to do?

Ed cut him off quickly. "You're one of them Greed, why don't you just tell us what you want so we can get this over with."

"Since when has this turned into a game of what I want?"

Standing to her feet she towered over his sitting figure, her eyes hard. "Because to you this is some kind of game, but I refuse to play."

The sin gazed, half amused, at her anger. His smile only fading when he caught the menacing look Ed was shooting his way.

She knew Edward was ready to protect her if he should make a move but she had no intention of being a victim.

"Dear Winry, it doesn't matter if you don't _want_ to play. You're already a crucial piece to their strategy, they won't let you forfeit. Don't be so self-assured that there won't be consequences should you chose to avoid this. They know you are not the type to let others suffer in your place."

The words echoed around her as she stared him down. No one spoke a word as the silence drew in closer around them. Winry was suddenly very afraid of what he had said, because it was true. The horrible creatures in the dark wanted her…not the women and children or the men who had crashed here but her. They promised they would be back for her, how many of these people would fight for her? He was right; she would not put them in that position. She couldn't let others die if she could save them. If it turned out that she couldn't save herself, then she would at least die fighting. This island had a harsh reality that was more ferocious that she figured any one of them could grasp. There would be no defeating those monsters. The best she could hope for was to offer herself up in hopes of saving the rest.

Holding back her weakness, she bravely held her head high. "No one needs to suffer." She locked eyes with Greed hoping that he would get her hidden meaning.

Beaming, he sat up straighter. "Excellent."

"Will someone please let us know what is going on?" Breda grumbled irritably from the side.

Winry bit the inside of her cheek; this would only work if she lied. Seeing as she wasn't a good liar, she would have to pray that they fell for it. "We can't wait around for them to find us; we need to figure a way off this island ourselves."

Greed raised an eyebrow, but kept his cocky smile. Even he could tell she was lying through her teeth. She just hoped they would take the distraction, something to keep them from coming to save her.

Voice a little shaky, she turned when Fuery meekly sputtered out to the group. "It seems kind of obvious, but maybe we should give some thought as to building a raft?"

Gracia hugged Elicia to her chest, "And what if it fails? Would you have us drown rather than just waiting till we're rescued?"

Sadila mirrored Gracia's fears as she gently rocked her newborn baby, "I know our chances here are not great, but if something were to happen…I won't lose my son like that."

Her husband put his hand on her shoulder, effectively choosing his side. "I think we should put our efforts into fortifying our camp here. We need to make sure we are alive for them to actually rescue us."

Havoc threw his hands up in the air, "Fine, stay here and die. I'm sorry but I agree with Fuery, the sooner we get off this damned island, the better."

Following his rather brash words the entire group broke up into arguments. Each side jostled each other for the right to lead the rest. This was not what she wanted, but she knew it was probably the best chance at escaping unnoticed as she was likely to get. Not wanting to waste the chance or wait in fear of losing her conviction, she moved into the background.

The voices had long since turned over, the noises that accompanied the dense forest taking their place. Her body shivered, but it had to be well over 90 degrees. It was incredibly stupid and she knew from the moment she had entered the thick brush that it was over. From all that they had learned about this place, she was sure that even if the creatures didn't find her, something else would. It was careless and irresponsible that she had gone without a pack, without food and water but somehow she doubted she would need them. She tried to imagine dying of starvation, but it was hard to do so with all the greenery around her. No, she decided she would probably be eaten before that. As morbid as she knew her thoughts were becoming, she didn't dare turn around.

A feeling of great loneliness griped her as she walked alone. She wanted nothing more than to run back to camp and stay with Edward, stay with the group, but this was more important.

Her determination wavered as she remembered the feeling of Ed's lips pressed against hers. Her stomach knotted in guilt, she owed him a goodbye…but he would have never let her go. Her throat constricted painfully, but she refused to turn back. They were good people, they had families back home, and they had children who needed them. She had no one to miss her, Edward would have his brother, and she knew Alphonse would make sure that he moved on.

She thought about her parents briefly and the idea of sacrificing herself for the greater good. Maybe she would see them soon.

Not really paying attention to where she was going she ended up tripping over an exposed tree root, her body falling ungraciously to the floor. The skin on the surface of her hands burned as they scraped across the landscape, barely breaking her fall. Cringing in pain, she cradled her hands in her lap. It was then that she heard a distinct series of cracks, footsteps.

Her breathing accelerated as panic began to sweep its way through her body. It wasn't like she didn't except them to find her, just maybe she had been praying that they wouldn't. Out of instinct she stumbled to her feet, the fear translating into adrenaline. Her feet pounded the ground, her eyes now attuned to every crack and hole in her path. The limbs of trees and the thorny ends of bushes scraped across her arms and face, but she kept running.

The decline in her strength was only brought to her attention by the heavy breathing that was now drawing closer and closer. Though she was strong, she couldn't help the terror that erupted inside her as a body tackled her to the ground. Squirming under their body weight she screamed unmercifully, thrashing her body to throw him off. Just as she knew her elbow had collided with something she heard the shot of a gun.

Her body froze on the ground, her face just inches from the soil.

"Don't move."

She didn't recognize the woman's voice; it certainly didn't have the sultry allure that defined Lust's. Was it possible that they had more accomplices to their deranged operations? Whatever the case was, she held still, hoping they would make it quick. Closing her eyes, she let her body fall limp. "Please, I will do whatever you want, just leave them alone…please."

Just as her eyes began to sting she felt a strong pair of arms roughly turn her over. Even with her vision blurred by unshed tears she could easily identify the face in front of her. Feeling rather at a loss, she nearly choked on the remaining sobs in her throat. "You're alive?"

The pilot of their plane was perched next to her, a red blotch forming on his left cheek where she must have hit him. Rubbing it callously, he smirked in dull humor. "Well after a hit like that I'm surprised you care."

The woman behind him clicked her tongue in reprimand. "Don't let your guard down; she could be one of them." The two exchanged knowing glances before turning back to Winry. The lady held the gun point blank at her. "Who are you?"

It might have been phrased like a question but Winry couldn't help but feel like it was an order. If they were really the pilot and one of the stewardesses then she didn't care what they said, she was just glad they were alive. She figured she would add the title in hopes it would persuade the woman to put her gun down. "Dr. Winry Rockbell."

The woman looked thoughtful for a moment before her narrowed eyes relaxed. Winry wondered if she had the same haunting look that had etched itself into their features. Had they seen the same things she had?

Stepping forward, she helped Winry to her feet. The pilot grumbled as he ended up helping himself up, his annoyance written on his face. "Don't worry Riza, I'm just fine."

Riza rolled her eyes, "Well Roy, if you would have just followed her instead of throwing her to the ground, maybe she wouldn't have hit you!"

Winry felt like she was watching a private moment between them and decided to retract any comment. Brushing the dirt from her clothes she felt a little shaky still, they had no idea what they had just stopped her from doing. If she hadn't run into them she might have done something _really_ stupid.

More important than her earlier mission was the fact that she had just run into two people from the front half of the plane. So far they had only come into contact with Al. "Is it just you two?"

Roy ran a hand through his hair, worry evident on his features. "No, but we can barely account for half of the people we landed with." He looked around, his face ironing out into a stone cold. "Is it just you?"

Winry shook her head, a small smile finally finding its way across her lips. "No, the rest of the passengers are holding up back at our camp. We found your half of the plane not far from where we crashed on shore, but we weren't sure how many of you had actually survived."

Absentmindedly she held onto her arm, remembering the bone breaking fall. Then it struck her, of all the people to have taken the radio of course the Pilot would! "Tell me you were the ones who took the radio."

Riza motioned to the pack on her back. "We have it, but it's no good to us here. The signal isn't strong enough and holding out until it is will only waste what little battery power is left. We were aiming to find the highest point on this island before trying it again."

The little speck of hope died quickly as she realized what little choices they had left. "Where is the rest of your group?"

Roy looked around his eyes watching their surroundings, "We left them about a mile back, you said you're a doctor right?"

When Winry nodded her head in affirmation, he motioned her to follow. "Of all the people to run into, I'm glad we found you."

The trek back was not as short as she would have imagined. The heat was worse than ever, the insects appearing in clouds and groups along the way. Sweat ran down the back of her neck as they continued on, she wondered if they had miscalculated the true distance.

Relief evident on her face, Riza pocketed her gun as they finally came across a small gathering of people. Those who were closest to where they arrived glanced anxiously from one to another as they took in the sight of a newcomer. It was clear they were not about to let their guard down.

A young woman with short dark hair stepped forward immediately, her eyes wide. "I remember you; you're from the front of the plane aren't you?"

Winry nodded her head. The girl bit her lip in indecision. "Are there-" She cleared her throat as her voice began to sound choked up. "Did anyone else survive?"

Grateful that she could answer this question, she smiled. "Yes, there are quite a few people at a camp by the shoreline." Looking around she found herself the center of attention and yet there was something off about the way they were looking at her. Their faces remained rather aloof for having just run into someone else from their flight. Reading further into it, she noticed the fear in the air. The anticipation leaked out before her as if they were waiting for her to attack them.

Seeing the general unease in the area Roy took her arm, leading her past them. "I'm not sure what you can do for him, but he saved our lives."

Riza took the lead, bringing them over to a small outcropping of rocks where the body of a man had been laid in the shade. The sheer size of the man frightened Winry as she took in the blood stained cloth that was wrapped around his torso. As gently as she could she began to remove the bandaging. The horrible infection that greeted her eyes was concerning. She couldn't hide the prognosis that was easily read from her expression. Feeling defiant she pushed her bangs back behind her ears; she wasn't going to let it end like this. As she looked into his pale face she watched the beads of sweat run down his face. His body was trying to fight and if he wanted to live, she would do whatever was in her power to fight alongside him. Looking around, she sucked it up and went into autopilot.

"I need some kind of alcohol, but water will do if that's all we have to work with." She refused to believe that there wasn't more alcohol on their half of the plane. It was first class, there was no way they had a short supply, especially on an overseas flight.

A woman by the name of Maria took to the task quickly, her hands digging through her bag.

"I know there was some in here…we took everything we could from the plane before we left."

Winry caught a water bottle midair from Roy as he threw one in her direction. It would have to suffice; they needed to clean out his wound. The infection was pretty bad, if only she had come across them earlier. Defeated, she watched as his pale face contorted in pain.

Images of flat lines crossed her mind; the countless number of lives that ended on her watch. While she had saved far more than she had lost, a loss was a loss. Her hands remained motionless a familiar feeling of sickness rising up in her throat as the bystanders drew around her, waiting for her to show them a miracle. They might not have known him well, but she could read it on their faces; one loss was a loss for all. Like it or not, they were in this together.

As soon as she had cleaned away part of the wound, she took in a startled breath. The laceration was a brutal version of the wounds she had seen on Alphonse. Stripping away the fear from her mind, she felt the familiar sting of déjà vou wipe through her as she set about trying to obtain supplies to clean and stitch up his wounds. But there was no easy fix this time, no sewing kit to steal from, no alcohol to sterilize.

Riza, who had been keeping a watchful eye to their perimeters, began pulling at a string from her shirt. Unwinding the threads Winry watched as the hem to the sleeves as well as the bottom portion of her shirt gave way. Picking up immediately she turned on the spectators around her. "We need to make a needle, something to penetrate the skin, without causing any more damage than necessary."

While one of the guys began to shave away at sliver of wood using a sharpened piece of glass, Winry kept her attention on the man before her. His lack of response to her administrations left her feeling less than optimistic. In half a whisper, she softly spoke. "Does anyone know his name?"

Maria answered her almost immediately. "Alex-Alex Armstrong." She sighed sadly, "He's a good friend of mine." Brushing away the wetness that had trickled down her cheek, she took a deep breath. "He's very strong; he won't let this beat him."

After being handed the makeshift needle and thread, Winry steeled herself for what she must do. "Then I promise you Maria; I will do everything within my power to give him the chance to prove just how strong he really is."

Maria took over watching Alex when Winry was done. They had already lit a fire while two of them switched out to keep guard. Roy who had been watching with Riza took her moment of relax into his advantage.

"Tell us everything."

Everything was a very encompassing term; she knew they would eventually ask her why she was not with her group. The thought alone pulled at her conscious with an unyielding guilt. What if she drew the monsters not only to the people back at their camp, but to the current half of the survivors she had just met? While she had decided it was stupid to let herself die for something she didn't understand, she wasn't sure if staying with this new group was any smarter. She had promised herself that no one would die for her.

"We set up camp a little ways down the coast from where our half of the plane touched down. A lot of the people who died, died on impact. Luckily we were able to rescue those that survived the crash itself." As she paused she noticed that it wasn't just Roy who was listening, the entire group was holding onto her every word. "The man I was seated next to, Edward, his brother was on your half of the plane. We hiked through the forest until we stumbled upon the front end of the plane up in the trees. When we couldn't find a trace of anyone around the area, we ended up following a blind lead. That's when we…when we saw a little boy."

The rest of her tale wasn't met with horrified glances but grim confirmations. It was obvious even from the start that they had run into the same creatures. It was obvious that bot Alex and Alphonse had been attacked by Lust.

Even after her tale had long since finished, she knew there was a crucial hole in her words. One part of the story that she had chosen to leave out for now. Wanting to understand exactly what they wanted with their group she turned to Roy. "What did they do to you?"

Roy sat down on a fallen tree trunk across from her, his palms resting on his thighs. "We were tricked." He looked ashamed as he continued to speak. "We thought the woman was a passenger on our plane. But when Riza checked the manifest her name wasn't there." His forehead wrinkled in disgust. "When I confronted her things got ugly fast. Riza ended up saving my life back there." A smirk rested on his lips. "She's a wicked shot with that gun."

Feeling unnerved, Winry interrupted at this point. "But I saw Solaris! She was perfectly fine when we ran into her."

Riza stepped over, her face masked in question. "That's not it; the bullet did nothing to her. Alex tried to take her down physically but-" she cast a sidelong look at him. "Her hands were…I don't even know what they were."

Winry nodded knowing exactly what she was talking about. "They're all like that."

Roy stiffened, his eyes widening. "What do you mean _they're_ all like that? You can't tell me that they all can do that without so much as a wince when their shot!" He hissed out in anger.

All of their gazes lingered on Alex before resting on Winry's defeated stare. Her voice came out breathless, "Some are worse."

Maria piped up, "What do you mean by worse? What could they possibly do that's worse than this?" She gestured towards the cruel wounds on the man's chest. "Just what are they?"

"I don't know what they are. About the only thing I know is that all of the ones with a sin for a name have a black tattoo of a serpent eating its own tail."

"An ouroboros tattoo?" Roy questioned aloud.

Winry paused. "You've heard of it?"

Roy shook his head in disbelief, "It's an ancient symbol referring to an eternal cycle. I've only ever seen it with regards to alchemy but that's just a myth."

Riza joined the conversation sounding both reasonable and frightening. "Is it a myth what we just witnessed?"

No one answered her question, because everyone had seen the unexplainable.

Once the night had completely taken over the sky, several people slowly filtered away, retreating back to the cave for shelter. Roy and Riza offered her a spot to sleep, but she politely shook them off. She needed time to think things through; she had plenty of clues, she just needed to piece them all together. Just as she was sure she was the only one left in front of the fire, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.

Jolting out of her sitting position, she turned around to face the darkness. "Who's there?"

On edge, she felt a scream boil up in her throat as someone's hand clasped tightly across her mouth. The hands roughly turned her around to face her attacker.

Relief washed through her as his hand left her mouth. "Edward?"

He looked anxiously around the camp before grabbing her hand, pulling her along with him.

"How did you-?"

Edward stifled her question. "Not here."

Once they were a good distance from the camp he pulled her tightly into his arms. Winry melted easily into his hold her head falling against his chest. Had it been less than 24 hours since she had been with him? It felt like an eternity to her at the moment.

His hands greedily ran along her body as he kissed her hard on the mouth. It was different than before, harder and much needier than the first kiss she had shared with him. But she was restless and scared and this physical attention seemed like a great outlet. She threw caution to the wind as she stared into his golden eyes, this was Edward, and she didn't need to be afraid of him.

It was a raw side to him that she had never seen. Before long he had her pinned up against a tree, his hand pulling her leg up his side. Winry gasped, her mouth leaving his. "Edward-wait."

"Oh I have waited."

Winry flinched at the cruel tone to his voice, something was wrong. He continued to push up against her, his hands pinning her in place. She tried to wriggle out of his hold but he kept her in place, his mouth trailing down her neck. "Edward stop."

He shook his head, a mirthless grin taking over his manic features. "Never."

With all the strength she could muster she shoved against his chest, putting a small enough distance between them for her to escape. Once she was out of his embrace, she took a strong stance across from him. "What's happened to you? Why are you being like this?"

He followed her retreating form, his head cocking to the side as he pouted playfully. "Aw, I thought you wanted this?"

Just as he stepped into the moonlight, Winry's suspicions were confirmed. Her mouth twisted into a scowl, she had been tricked. "Edward doesn't have a tattoo, or did you forget?"

Edward's blond hair gave way to pointy black threads, his eyes churning with a deep purple hue. "I suppose I did."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter: 11

An expectant and unwavering stare from the sin left nothing to the imagination. One look at him made his skin crawl, Winry was definitely in trouble. Edward fought the urge to pummel him into the ground. It was hard to remember that keeping him conscious enough to give answers was the right thing to do. His stomach churned at the thought of breaking this particular promise. He had promised that he would keep her safe, no matter what happened. There was no doubt that this creature would be a part of why he couldn't keep such a promise.

Trying to stifle the anger in his voice, he leered at Greed. "I'm only going to ask one more time, where is she?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Greed barely managed to take another breath before Edward threw his fist. Slumping forward the sins head twisted at an odd angle.

Ed grunted, holding his fist, he was sick of trying to play his game of cat and mouse. Breathing heavily, he glared at the sin, his eyes ablaze with fury. Winry wasn't the type to just walk off alone without there being a good reason. They needed her and he knew she would never abandon them willingly, she was smarter than that. And he wasn't an idiot either. He hadn't missed the secret wording that was exchanged between her and Greed almost minutes before her disappearance. Her absence was definitely connected to the grinning bastard in front of him.

Ed watched as the sin positioned his head right, eliciting a sharp crack. His nose wrinkled up in disgust, humans don't just snap back from something like that. Scientifically speaking, even he could see that this was inhuman. Waiting for the creature to say something, anything, he felt his fists clench and unclench at his sides. When the thing only stared back at him unfazed, he growled under his breath. "I swear if anything has happened to her, I will rip you apart piece by piece."

"And what will that do? If you're trying to kill me you're going to have to get more creative than that." Folding his arms across his chest, he shook his head in doubtful resignation, "Do you really not know what you can do?" Greed frowned.

Ed didn't fight the sarcasm that dripped from his voice, "And just how would you suggest I go about killing you?"

Dipping his sunglasses slowly down his nose, Greed smirked. "Equivalent exchange ring any bells?"

"Should it?" Ed replied lamely, even as the words stirred a familiar note in his mind.

Shrugging his shoulders Greed proceeded to sit, his hands resting behind his head. "The reason I'm here at all is all thanks to that lovely concept. Shame you can't remember, I could have used your help."

Remember, how could he forget? The reason his father was off traveling the world instead of at home where he should have been was because of that damn concept. The reason he had left his family all boiled down to a shoddy excuse of a journal.

His father's research on the mythical science of Alchemy had been passed down to him after notice of his death had arrived. Despite his initial urge to burn it, an intense curiosity had surfaced almost immediately upon holding it in his hands. It was hard to imagine what was so important that it would take the place of someone's family.

"So you do remember."

Edward snapped out of his daze, "What?"

Greed stood up, his lips curling in a wicked grin. "You have something I want and I have something you need…so let's make a deal."

"This is ridiculous." Ed glared at him, "Alchemy isn't real. It's just some stupid legend of old designed to make people think they can do the impossible." He spoke harshly.

"What if I told you that the only way to get your little girlfriend back was to use it?"

"Winry?" His stomach dropped as the sin nodded his head. He wouldn't forgive himself if anything happened to her. Pissed off, he reeled at the sin. "You sick son of a-"

Hands held up protectively in front of him, Greed backed away. "Relax I didn't have anything to do with this one. You keep forgetting, I don't have an allegiance to anyone but myself."

Edwards's voice trembled in rage, "Then what are you doing asking for my help?"

"I'm not asking." He smirked.

"Yeah well I'm not accepting, I'll find her myself!" Not waiting for a response Ed stormed away.

The damn sin spoke in vague acts of provocation and hidden meanings. There was no reasoning with him, he was better off doing things his way. He was going after her. At the end of the day he knew that was the only decision he could live with. Before he embarked on yet another journey, he made sure to talk to two very important people. He could be reckless when he wanted to be, but he needed to make sure his brother was well looked after.

Luckily, the younger Elric was awake and looking healthier than he had in days. Ed pushed away the nagging voice that reminded him again of just what Winry meant to them. His brother's condition would not have progressed so well without her skillful hands and quick thinking.

"What happened to you?"

Eyebrows raised, he made a face. "And what makes you think something happened?" His brother was better off not knowing the mess he had let himself fall into, again.

His gaze was steady and knowing. "What happened?"

"Don't worry about it Al. I just came back to tell you I'll be gone for a while. Gracia and Sadila are going to look out for you while I'm gone."

Looking incredibly irritated, Al made a face. "Where could you possibly be going that's more important than right here? You can't possibly feel wanderlust when we're so far away from home!"

Not sure if he could spit out the truth he just shrugged his shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant. Though he should have known his brother would see right through his pretense. "Someone has to figure out some way to get off this island, might as well scope out the place."

Disappointed. Ed hated that look; it was worse than an angry glare or a disgusted scowl. This was one of those times he could have sworn he was the younger of the two as Al rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Did you tell Winry?"

Caught off guard, he didn't articulate his lie so well. "Why would I tell her?"

As stubborn an ass as he knew he was being it looked like Al finally lost his patience. "Are you being serious?" His face turned red with suppressed rage. "That girl would do anything for you, who are you to leave without as much as a goodbye?"

He should have just told the truth, but he knew the anger he saw in his brothers eyes was a trait he himself had taught him. "It's not like that, listen Al I should have told you but-"

"Forget it. If you want to ruin a good thing, that's your problem. But don't call me brother as you walk out the door."

Ed gave in, the ability to lie wiping from his words. "She's gone Al."

"Of course she's gone, do you expect her to-wait…what did you say?"

Finding the floor very interesting all of the sudden, he didn't look up. "She's missing and I'm going after her."

Al took a moment before he composed his shock, a fearful look resting on his features. "Are you sure running off is the best option for finding her? Tell me you aren't going by yourself."

Always the voice of reason, Ed wished he didn't have to look him in the eyes. It would be more convenient to just go on impulse and forget weighing out the costs of his decisions. "No one else needs to get involved, I can do this myself."

Eyes widened in alarm as Al nearly fell over in his panic. "No! Ed you're not going back to where those things were! Do you not see what _one_ of them did to me? You said it yourself; lust wasn't the worst of the bunch."

"I don't care."

Furious Al managed to stand on his feet, grabbing Edward by the collar of his shirt. "I CARE!"

Squirming out of his brother's hold he narrowed his eyes. "I know, that's why I have to do this. Al-"

Squaring his jaw, the younger Elric raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Do you remember what dad was searching for?"

Taken aback, Al's expression narrowed in confusion. "Some kind of alchemy thing, what does that have to do with anything?"

Ed felt crazy for the thoughts that were running through his head. He remembered reading through his father's old alchemy books, but of course none of it was real. So why was everything making more sense than it had before? There was a missing piece to this puzzle if only he could remember…

"The mark!"

Now Al truly looked like he was lost. "Brother…"

"Just listen to me Al; I remember! The mark, the tattoo on their skin; it's the ouroboros mark!" When Al still looked lost, he interjected what should have been obvious from the start. "It's the mark of eternal return; it's the mark of alchemy. Every single one of those creatures has it…"

His eyes drew wide; he remembered reading about the speculation of a form called a homunculus. If they were what he had read about… then they were all on dangerous ground.

"Brother, are you ok?" Al managed to ask before he went a little pale.

He had already sunk back down onto the makeshift bed before Ed could react. He could only imagine how much effort it had taken for him to confront him like that. He immediately felt guilty, why was his younger brother asking him if he was ok? The roles were always reversed with them.

"I just need some time to think." He eyed his brother carefully as he attempted to sit up again. "Relax, I'm coming back. Besides, _you_ need to rest."

Narrowed eyes followed him as he left the tent, and he didn't blame his brother for the skepticism.

Just as he began pacing the length of the water's edge he heard a blood curdling scream. The aftershock followed immediately with the sound of hysterics. Without any hesitation he sprinted off towards the sound of the screams. They didn't need anything else to go wrong…

"Somebody help!" a woman's voice cut through the cries.

"We need a doctor!" a deeper, male voice responded.

"Where the hell is that girl?" a more disturbed voice echoed in the space between them.

Edward followed the voices until he was halfway into the thick brush of the forest. Not ready to see the sight before him, he blanched at the bloody body.

Breda was barking off to no one in particular, attempting to find someone who could help. Breda growled lowly as he saw his approach. "Don't just stand there, go get Winry!"

Funny, that was exactly what he had been about to do. He hated that the words that were coming out of his mouth were true. "She's missing."

Falman looked sickly himself, his clothes splattered with blood. "What do you mean she's missing? We need a doctor, Jeans been attacked!"

Before he could retort everyone froze as a loud growling filled the air. Ed didn't need anyone to fill him in; the sound was nothing even close to that of a dog. Breda went pale and suddenly they all knew exactly what had happened. The sound of movement and the frustrated roars started to head their way.

Not waiting to find out what had inflicted those wounds to Havoc, Edward managed to find his footing. He leaned forward and helped Breda to support the blond injured man enough so they could move. When one of the girls just stood staring he felt his nerves ride on edge. "What are you doing? RUN!"

The panicked sound managed to hit through her fear as she stumbled after them. It was hard to worry about what the hell it even was when he had what it could do right in front of him. So instead of fulfilling his curiosity he kept a steady pace and trained his eyes forward. Once they had managed to make it back to the beach they nervously waited for the monster to rear its head, but only silence followed.

At the sight of Havoc, he felt relief when Gracia stepped up and began to dress his wounds. He wasn't sure he had enough first aid experience to really do any help. "Dammit Winry." He muttered under his breath. "Where the hell are you?"

One thing was sure, he wasn't about to brave the forest without a clear mission in place. If he was going to put himself on the food menu for some creature he would rather it be for a reasoned and well thought out plan. It was no longer just his life on the line, as he looked at Havocs incapacitated state he realized their numbers were thinning. His resolve to find Winry strengthen as he looked at the young children, they deserved a fighting chance at this world, no matter how cruel it was.

"Follow me."

Edward was snapped from his reverie by the cold sins voice. It was hard to grasp what it was thinking, the lack of emotion was disturbing, but not revealing.

"You're taking me to her?" He questioned.

The sin nodded his head.

Casting an uncertain look towards the forest he made a face. "And what about the creature out there? You sure it's not going to do what it did to him to us?"

Greed shrugged his shoulders, "There are worse things out there than a beast with fangs."

It must have been the lack of food, the heat or maybe the entire island was just driving him crazy. Because he followed the sin in complete disregard of all those who needed him at the camp, the stupidity of following one of the monsters themselves and the lack of vengeance against the creature that was probably to blame in the first place. In all probability he was falling right into their hands, but for whatever reason, he didn't particularly care.

"You never told me what you want me to do for you." Ed asked in the silence between them.

"Suppose I didn't." He answered vaguely.

Rolling his eyes, he felt too tired to argue. "Better tell me now, I'm just a human you know, I could die at any minute." he added sarcastically.

Greed stopped him at that moment, his face tilted to the side in thought. "Just kill the old man, leave the rest to me. I hear he looks like your dad, should be easy right?"

His forehead creased in uncertainty. "You brought me all the way out here to kill that thing?"

"The sooner the better." Greed smiled. "Now something tells me that your girl went all self sacrificing. But they don't need her yet, they still have to confirm the last two." He scratched his chin in thought. "They need five and the last I checked they had four. You should probably hurry up and kill the guy, you're running out of time."

He had no idea what to say, the more he talked to the sin, the less he understood. "Five? Five of what?"

Greed leaned in, "You can't possibly hope to become a god without sacrifice and the last thing I need is some god telling me what to do. Its better if he just dies."

A god, this thing was under the impression that it could become a god? It seemed like some ancient civilization nonsense to him. He was about to comment when Greed pointed over his shoulder. Spinning around to look, he felt his breathing stop.

"Winry?" He called out cautiously.

The blond girl turned around to face him, her white dress swirling all around her. She winked at him before slowing retreating out of the light.

Stumbling over his own feet, he tried to run towards her. "Winry!" He called in desperation.

The girl just smiled at him and backed away, disappearing into the dark. What was going on? Something was wrong. He looked around but Greed was gone as well. Not entirely sure what had become of the sin, he turned back to the disappearing girl. Racing forward he screamed her name, not caring if he drew unwanted attention. His voice started to sound hoarse as he continued to scream her name recklessly into the woods.

It was then that he stumbled upon something he never wanted to see. His mouth dropped open in shock, his features stilled into a look of horror. Pinned up against a tree was Winry, the woman he had spent every day on this island pinning over. The man's hand slid her leg up against his body, making his stomach churn with indecision. Was this the reason she had run from them? It seemed like a pretty weak excuse to run away, but then again maybe he had been the fool. He hardly knew the woman in front of him. Though upon closer inspection, he had a feeling he knew exactly who the man was. The long golden blond hair was surly not something common…what the hell?

He was certain about two things in that moment. First, Winry looked terrified and second, the man who had ravaged her was his clone. That was until he morphed into the purple eyed creature they called envy.

Edward stiffened, his face contorting with rage. How dare he touch her!

Hoping to bank on the element of surprise, Edward vaulted himself at the sin, unafraid of the consequences. Envy turned to him as if he had been expecting it. The two of them began a full out brawl which ended when Edward found himself staring back at his reflection. Panting slightly he backed up, but the impostor Edward stole his words.

"You stay away from her!"

Ed frowned, what was he trying to do? His face contorted as the sin moved back towards Winry. "Winry are you alright?" He asked in a soothing and worried voice.

Winry just looked back and forth between them, her hands clutched around her stomach. "Jus…just stay away from me." Her voice wavered as she backed away from the sin.

He tried to move to her side, but she looked just as weary of him as she had been the sin. "Winry it's me, don't let that bastard fool you."

"Both of you just stay away!" Her eyes were pooling with tears.

How did he always manage to make her cry? There was only one way to prove to her who he really was. "You used to work as a mechanic to pay off med school."

Winry stopped staring back and forth between them to focus on Ed.

Envy must have picked up on what he was doing because he stepped right next to him. "Your parents died when you were little."

Edward wondered how much it really knew about her. "Winry you know I'm the real Edward." He breathed softly.

"When did I first fall in love with you." She spoke quietly, her arms still held tightly around her body as if to hold herself together.

The sin spoke before he could even respond. "The moment we kissed on the beach."

To this Edward has to scoff, the sin may have been watching, but he couldn't possibly understand what he felt for Winry. "When you held my hand as we crashed."

Winry's face immediately turned in his direction, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Edward?"

Distracted by her presence he barely had time to think before she had jumped into his arms. He held her tightly, never wanting to let go. It wasn't until he remembered that they weren't alone that he slowly detached himself from her embrace.

So lost in their world it seemed like Envy had made an easy escape. Groaning in frustration he scanned the area. "Where the hell do those things disappear to?"

Having escaped another encounter with the sins, he found himself really looking at Winry. She had scrapes on her hands and knees, the bruises on her arms making him wish he hadn't of squeezed her so hard in the embrace. "Winry…" he breathed sadly.

Conscious of why he looked so concern she shrugged her shoulders, "I'm lucky that's all I have."

He frowned, his previous thoughts winding back into his head. "Speaking of that…what the_ hell_ possessed you to run off on your own?"

"They want me Ed, I don't know what for, but they won't stop coming until they take me back." She put her hands on her hips in defiance. "And I won't have them hurting anyone just to get at me."

"We needed you back at camp Win, you're the only doctor we have…I need you." He added truthfully. "I thought we were in this together?"

Her cheeks blushed as she looked guilty. "I know that now…" she sighed sadly, "…this is all so complicated."

Folding his arms in front of him, he took a deep breath. "Things keep getting weirder and weirder around here." What version of Winry had led him to the real her? Why didn't Greed or Envy do anything to them? There were so many things that didn't add up.

It didn't take him long to fill her in on what Greed had said to him, or what he had deduced from his own experiences with his father's alchemy notes.

"What does it all mean?" She asked in complete bewilderment.

He rubbed the palms of his hands over his face, compelled into a deep state of thought. "All I know is that whatever this cult like group is; they are looking for five sacrifices."

"And I'm one of them?" She deduced in resignation.

"No!" Edward voiced vehemently, holding her close. "I won't let that happen." he added with loyal determination.

She shivered in his arms, her face creased in guilt. "I left the pilot and a few other passengers from the front of plane a ways back, we need to warn them."

"We need to bring everyone together, if we have any chance it will be through numbers." He added in a confidence he was sure she saw right through.

Neither of them commented on the overwhelming threat that loomed over them. To admit that these creatures had them in the palm of their hand was to admit certain defeat. So she led him forward, her hand grasping his.

Still nighttime, the camp was quiet besides one man who was obviously standing guard. He eyed them skeptically, the bat like piece of wood held like a baseball player waiting for a pitch.

"Don't move." He ordered in a strained but fierce voice. When it seemed he had finally recognized Winry, he let them pass but never lowered his makeshift weapon.

Ed knew he had been a fool to think that the others had not experienced the horrors of this island. It seemed engrained in the man's eyes. The mysteries of this place were neither intriguing nor endearing; they were the difference between life and death. Taking refuge against one of the many trees in the small camp he leaned against the trunk, Winry's head in his lap. He stroked her blond hair until he noticed her breathing even out as she slept soundlessly. He intended to stay awake to keep watch, but that was asking too much of his stamina as he slipped just as easily into a deep sleep.

"This is the end." Bradley remarked without a hint of remorse.

Greed stared at the gang, his features twisting with a mirthless laugh. "For now."

There was really no point in resisting, it would have been futile given his current predicament, he was looking at his demise. But there was going to be no end to him, not that he would allow. Where there were humans on the island he knew he was safe from complete oblivion. "What will you do without me?" He played skillfully.

Bradley scowled, he wasn't the type to stand for insults. He lowered him towards the bubbling liquid below, the chains clanking in protest as they moved.

Wondering how long it would take before he found a host to enable him to continue he didnt really think about if it would hurt. He had to admit, he was rather stunned that Father chose to speak to him in the remaining time.

"You have revealed too much Greed, your loyalty has been in question for far too long." He repeated without a trace of emotion.

He wanted to laugh at the seriousness of the moment; did they truly understand how far he had betrayed them? Perhaps not yet he amended in his head. He had merely planted the seed for their destruction, only time would be able to tell whether they would meet their potential. He could not defeat his creator, but he knew of one who could.

In his last moments he stared down Bradley, he would take great pleasure in killing him. Though as all things, he knew one kill would not be enough…nothing was ever enough.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

It's impossible to forget your nightmares when they show up while you are awake. Winry shivered despite the heat. Sitting on top of one of the large boulders at the edge of the campsite she stared off into the forest. It wasn't a matter of 'if' but 'when' they would come back. She rested her head on her knees as she brought them up to her chest. Their situation was starting to look bleak, no one was coming.

It had been weeks now and still not one sign that anyone had any idea they were lost. The supplies were diminished and by the looks of the people they were currently staying with, it was taking its toll. The rough, unshaven chins and worn looking clothes reminded her how little there was to hope for at the moment.

"We have to convince them to return with us." Someone spoke, making her jump in surprise.

Holding a calming hand over her heart she stared at Edward who was standing nearby. Sighing she dropped her hand and slipped off the rocks surface. Walking towards him she stared up at his serious expression trying to judge just how he expected to accomplish that. "You think they are going to trust us enough to follow?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "We don't have a lot of options."

It was weird, despite the short time knowing them she already felt like they were her family. As for Ed…well there had been something from the very beginning, a distinct knowing that had her from the start. She didn't miss the anxious look on his face; she had just adorned it only moments before.

"We need to get back to camp."

Winry nodded her head in quiet affirmation, he wouldn't voice it, but she knew he was worried about his brother. They approached the pilot who was currently talking to the man on duty. Winry wondered if her face looked as hopeless as theirs did. At the sight of them walking closer the two men quieted abruptly, awaiting what they had come to say.

It was then that Winry realized the large man to whom she had operated on was gone. "What happened to Alex?" She asked, her former resolutions taking a backseat to her concern for the man.

Roy wiped a hand across his face to wipe away the sweat that had gathered. "I don't want to start a panic." He said softly looking around the group of people for any sign of eavesdroppers. "We've scoured the area since dawn and still no sign of him."

"That's impossible." She replied quickly, she knew the condition of that man; he was lucky to even be alive. "There is no way he could have just walked away, at least not far enough that we couldn't find him."

The man on duty exchanged a dark look with Roy, "That's the thing; we don't think he just walked away."

Winry looked nervously around camp, "Is he the only one missing?"

Roy nodded, "As far as I know."

"We have to get these people out of here." Edward spoke up behind her.

"And you want to explain to them why?" Mustang spat out ruefully.

"This is ridiculous, either you're on our side or you're not. If you want to die out here then do it, just don't drag all of these people down with you." Winry spoke out in a rush. She was sick of just talking and ticking away what precious, if any, time they had left.

Either they were still stunned from her outburst or they were actually pondering what she said because none of them uttered a word. They needed each other to survive at this point and there was no denying that time was not on their side. Looking as if he were swallowing his pride Roy scanned the area around them. "It shouldn't take too long for us to pack up; how far away is your camp?"

It was unnerving to have Edward stare at her like he was his face full of wonder. He should know she had a talent when it came to powers of persuasion. "It shouldn't be more than two days walk, a day if we can move out quickly."

Winry found herself busy helping the others pack up what little they had managed to salvage themselves. Though she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder every now and then to watch Edwards movements. Each time they caught each other staring she looked away like an embarrassed teenager. How long was she going to be infatuated with him? Maybe infatuated wasn't really the word for what was happening. She was beginning to think that their time on the island was starting to mean something else, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

There seemed to be a level of respect and admiration for Mustang, he must have done something that earned their trust. The group followed him without any real complaints, the consensus that if he said to go they went. Then again maybe it was the fact that Riza was standing next to him and no one wanted to cross her. Winry actually found her to be a very loyal friend, someone she might have been good friends with had they met in different circumstances.

Edward led the group, despite the general grumbling from Mustang. As she followed him through the thicker parts of the forest she froze when she realized there were no longer sounds of people following her. Spinning on the spot she felt a rising sense of panic. "Ed stop."

When no one answered her she turned back around to find herself alone. "Ed?"

Looking around she tried to keep calm, but nothing in her head could keep the hairs on the back of her neck from standing up. The sound of whispering came closer and began to grow louder as it circled around her. Not feeling exactly brave she tried to keep her voice level. "Who's there? Show yourself."

Nothing responded, except for the continued whispers and the undeniable evidence that there was in fact someone or _something_ out there. Her experience with the sins had taught her that logic failed reason in this place. The chills running up and down her spine kept her eyes roaming in fear, but it was the figure that suddenly appeared in front of her that caused her to freeze. Unable to move she felt her limbs begin to shake in sheer terror. The figure tilted its head to one side, its eyes blank.

"Alex?" She asked cautiously.

The large mans eyes looked dead as his muscular body loomed over her. Her teeth dug into her lower lip as she felt the dread overwhelm her.

"It's only a matter of time before you join us."

"Join who Alex? You're not making any sense." She quipped, her voice already shaking slightly.

As if she were watching a time lapse the man's body quivered uncontrollably until the skin began to sag and his bones crumpled. A horrible shriek filled the air as she watched his body decompose right in front of her.

Turning from the haunting image she ran full force but the whispers continued to chase her as if she were staying in the same spot. It almost sounded like they were calling to her. Winry strained to make out what the voices were saying but all at once they died. Everything, from the sound of the ambiance in the background to the very beating of her heat left in one instant. Then it came, slow at first but it appeared to be picking up speed. The dark shadow reached like finger tips towards her as the very air seemed pulled from her lungs. The shadows began to wind themselves around her, tightening their hold as she clawed with useless resistance against the dominating factor. Her heart clenched as her body went rigid.

Her biggest fears were keeping her trapped all alone, afraid to fight but most of all afraid to let go.

"Ed…"

As fast as it had come it was suddenly over. The whispering had stopped, and the darkness was gone. In its place stood a man dressed in white, beads of sweat running down his face as he held his sword loftily over his shoulder. This man wasn't Edward and in this place she didn't even know if he was really human. The image of Alex still penetrating her thoughts she continued to shake, if this was a nightmare, why couldn't she wake up?

"You shouldn't be here."

Swallowing hard Winry knew she didn't have it in her to out run him at this point. "Who says I want to be?"

He stepped one foot closer making her step one back. "Don't be fooled, you have not escaped them. They let you go, but they will come back…they always do."

There were two things that began to bring her back. One, he wasn't speaking of an 'us' but rather a 'them' and two, he was obviously a standing testament to being alive on this island. His message was nothing she didn't already know so she asked him something she didn't.

"How did you stop it?" She had seen the shadows before and she had a feeling that he had played a part in stopping it this time.

"I came looking for it."

Feeling utterly lost she ran a troubled hand through her hair, "I don't understand, why would you go looking for something like that…something that could kill someone like it did." The steady flickering image of Alex rattled her.

"It wasn't your friend that you saw, I'm afraid I know where that man is."

The steady calm chilled her to the bone, he might not be one of the sins but he could easily be another kind of evil. "Where is he?" She asked hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to know.

A patient kind of sympathy leaked through his voice. "He's right over there."

Winry followed his pointed finger, settling on the body of Alex Armstrong. Turning her head away from the sight she felt the tears roll down her cheeks. There was no question that he was lost to this world, his unblinking eyes were just as haunting as the horrible ghost of a man she had seen disappear right in front of her. "Why is this happening?" The anguish ripped her apart, were the rest dead? Why was she all alone?

"Your group is looking for you."

Wiping the back of her hand across her face she stared at the man with uncertainty. She wanted answers. "Why would you go looking for something like that, what is this place?"

He let his sword swing down, allowing it to dangle by his side. "This place shouldn't exist, it defies the very nature of our world but more so, _they_ defy our nature. It runs according to a different set of rules, ones that my people are only beginning to learn."

"So you are here to study this place?"

He frowned for a second, "I am not a scientist, I want something more than just answers. They have something I want, they have defeated death and I am here to take their secret." As if he was beginning to lose interest in her he started to back away. "It would be a shame to watch something so beautiful die." He stared at her, unfazed by the look of pure disbelief on her face. "A word to the wise…" He slung his sword over his shoulder once more, "Stay away from the shadows."

"Winry!"

Glancing over her shoulder she watched as Edward and the rest of the group halted, their eyes spying not only her but the remains of Alex. She knew when no one appeared troubled by the man behind her that he must have left. Edward rushed towards her, a blazing hard look on his face as he wrapped her in his arms.

"What happened?" He asked weakly as he wiped away some of the tears that had slipped from the corner of her eyes.

Not wanting to talk about it she pressed her lips together but there was no hiding the onslaught of tears that continued to streak down her face. By some miracle no one bothered her as they continued on their journey. She followed as closely to Edward as possible, her arm brushing up against his. It might have been the glare he sent towards anyone who even tried to ask her what happened but she thought it had more to do with the depressing silence that had taken them as they had all watched Roy bury Alex in a grave, a weird shaped rock the only marker they could find.

She had never been so relieved to see sand in her life. The welcoming sight of the ocean waves was comforting after all the things she had seen lurking deep within the forest. Not only that but the sight of familiar faces saved her the grief of worrying if they might ever see them again.

The most beautiful moment came in the smallest of gestures, but the most significant. A woman named Maria had taken Alex's death the hardest but they hadn't even introduced the rest of the passengers when a man with blonde hair bolted to her. The two embraced tightly as Maria cried into his arms. Winry felt her heart lighten as she watched the man place several kisses on her lips as if he could never get enough.

Love. Something she had always run away from, always avoided, so why was it right beside her? She didn't need to look far; he had his arm wrapped around her waist, his gaze saying exactly the words she couldn't.

In the commotion of being reunited with the rest of the survivors Ed and Winry managed to remain off the radar and slip out of the crowd. Winry was surprised to find Al staring off towards the horizon, his bandages looking clean and the coloring returned to his skin. He looked up at their approach, his expression softening instantly.

"Brother, Winry." He acknowledged happily.

"Hey Al." Ed responded, the relief evident in his voice.

Winry smiled at him, "You look good Al."

Alphonse scrutinized them closely for a minute before replying, "What happened?"

Neither of them spoke right away, words failed to explain how much had happened in such a short amount of time. At this point they had been on the island for almost a month and hope of being rescued was slowly leaving them like the retreating tide.

"It's a long story." She began.

Both of the brothers looked at her at once, Edward putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Then you should probably start at the beginning."

She managed to send him a small smile before sitting down in the sand, the boys following suite. "We're not alone; there are other people on this island…"

It took her about an hour to fully explain her story but the more she said aloud the harder it was to continue on. Everything seemed so much worse when she rehashed it all. Alphonse gasped when she began to stammer out what she had seen in the shadows.

"I know it sounds crazy…maybe I am, but the whispers were calling to me." She closed her eyes afraid of what they thought of her after hearing what she had to say. But closing her eyes only led her to the haunting image of Alex and the lifeless eyes that just stared. But they didn't say a word and she knew it was too late to turn back now. She finished her story in the same defeated tone. "We have to get off this island." She pleaded desperately; she couldn't watch the people around her die like this.

"We need to find this swordsman." Edward revised his expression serious.

Al looked concerned at his brother's words. "No, this doesn't involve us. The guy was right to tell her that we don't belong here. There's something wrong about this place and the things that live here."

"It's too late to back out now, besides who the hell is gonna save us? At this point we're better off trying to figure out how those people got here and how it is that one guy with a sword was able to drive off those _things_." He paused for a second, "I will get us home, I promise."

Winry looked at each Elric brother; they were the closest to family she had felt in a long time. "Promise?"

"Promise."

The night was colder than usual but that wasn't why Winry was shaking. The nightmare she had just woken up to had replayed the day's earlier events but instead of Alex it was Ed. Shifting, she turned over on her other side on the row of seats they had been using as a makeshift bed. Looking down on the ground she watched as Ed slept on, unaware of what had occurred to him in her mind. Unaware that it was her worst nightmare to date.

It was just the two of them; Alphonse had ended up sleeping outside with Alexander. Rolling off the seats she joined him on the floor, burying her head against him. Of all the bad things that had happened of all the people that had died, there was one thing she wouldn't change. Sworn to never love and known the feeling of loss again, it appeared that she had broken her rules.

He stirred in his sleep, his eyes flickering open."Winry? What's wrong?"

"I'm scared." It was an honest truth to many things at the moment.

Pulling her close to him, he kissed her forehead. "I'm right here."

Her sense of preservation was faulty at best; she always wanted to help others. But for once she needed help; she needed someone else to tell her it was going to be ok. It was one of many reasons why she knew she had fallen in love with him.

She returned his kiss enthusiastically, aching to be close to him. Whatever had gotten into her it seemed to mirror in him. The heated kiss brought them closer as his hands roomed over her curves. The further they went the farther away the nightmares drifted. It wasn't her first time, though it made all other times seem so insignificant. She forgot all about the dead silence, the lurking shadows and the whispering voices it was just her and Edward.

"Winry…" He breathed her name as if it were his last breath. Pulling her into his arms, her mind went hazy with indecision. Moaning softly as one of his hands dug through her hair, she felt the other rise up her neck. The look in his eyes confirmed everything she needed to know. The seductive and expectant gaze was the final motion. He let his hands roam over her curves, all the tension and worry leaving their bodies. It wasn't planned, but she knew once they had started there was no turning back. But it was the moment that they did that she heard the beautiful line leave his lips and she wanted nothing more than to stay frozen in time.

"I love you."

He smiled into her hair, his arms holding her to his chest. "I love you." He repeated again.

"And I love you." She finished.

They slept together until the sun rose and he knew they needed to face their reality. Getting up quickly she watched as he pulled his shirt over his head. He hadn't noticed she was awake until he saw her looking at him. "Leaving already?" She stated sadly.

He stopped cold. "Leaving?" She could see that even her implying such a thing was ludicrous to him.

Stooping down to kiss her on the lips he chuckled, looking like there was something he wanted to explain. "The sooner I get to the bottom of this mess, the closer we get to getting us all home." He kissed her once again his voice turning husky, "I keep my promises."

He watched her lips turn up at the corners. "I'm not leaving you Winry, I promised to get us home and I will."

After bathing briefly she slipped on the white, cotton sundress and headed back towards camp. Alexander trailed after, his tongue hanging out from his mouth. She knew better than to leave camp without an escort, only he wasn't the only one. She walked up the beach towards Edward. "You can look now."

He uncovered his eyes, a grin appearing on his face. "I might have cheated a little." He admitted.

She swatted him playfully, "Your incorrigible." she moaned humorously.

"And you're beautiful." He added truthfully.

They held hands all the way back, Alexander happy at their return bounded around them.

"Something's happened." Al stated his eyes narrowed at his brother.

"What do you mean?" Ed asked, trying to avoid smirking.

Frowning in concentration Al held his chin in his hand, "Well you're grinning like an idiot and Winry's practically glowing, something obviously happened."

Ed cleared his throat unsure how to answer that question.

"You love her don't you?" Al said softly.

Well that was one question he wasn't going to hesitate to answer. "Yes, yes I do."

Al smiled, "Good. You up for a quick hunt for breakfast?"

"Are you sure you're up to it?" He looked at the bandages around his brothers chest in concern.

Rolling his eyes Al started to walk, slow enough to let him know he should join. "I wouldn't categorize picking fruit as a strenuous activity."

He could see Winry making her rounds, as she checked over the passenger's cuts, bruises and scrapes. Beauty inside and out is a rare occurrence, but she made it look so effortless.

"Alright, let's go."

The two poked around an area just a little bit into the forest, careful to not stray farther than necessary. It was fairly easy to fill a backpack in the small amount of time they had been out there. Facing his brother he wondered why his brother's fruit was laying on the ground. "What the hell Al?"

His brother looked directly behind him, his eyes wide. Ed didn't want to turn around, it couldn't be good. No good ever came from knowing there was something behind you when you're unprepared. But curiosity won out in the end as he faced where Al was staring. The figure unsheathed a sword, his face turning quickly towards them, evaluating their every move.

Had he lasted more than a few minutes in this god forsaken place without running into death threats? Ready to defend himself, he waited for the native looking man to initiate. He wasn't about to start this fight, but he sure as hell would finish it.

Just as he figured the man was about to strike, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. Edward stared dumbfounded at the fallen native, his eyes wide. Did he really just pass out? Curious, he crossed into the clearing. While he moved, he listened intently for any subtle noise. If he was to be ambushed at least they wouldn't catch him off guard. Crouching down next to the man he felt a steady pulse, was he sleeping? A soft snore confirmed his suspicions; the man was most assuredly asleep. Poking him a few times, he wasn't really sure this man was much of threat; in fact he wondered how he had managed to stay alive in this place with such narcoleptic tendencies.

He wanted to keep moving, but something told him that waiting until he woke up would be a better option. With the foreign looking outfit and obvious native physical features this was as good of a lead he could have stumbled upon. Looking over at Al he realized that the man matched Winry's earlier description.

"Al…I think we just found the swordsman."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** This chapter had been lost on a zip drive for about a year, but guess who found it :) It needs some proofing but I think I pulled most of the kinks out. I'll put some more effort into editing but I needed to share this, it has been a long time in coming!

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Chapter 13:

It all started with the death of his father, a man so important to the world he chose to be irrelevant to his. The lawyer had come to them upon his death, apparently Hohenheim had wanted to be buried next to their mother and while Ed could give a rats ass where they threw the bastard, his younger brother had insisted they acknowledge his wishes.

From there everything went to shit.

On their way back to Resembol, the plane had crashed, killing most on impact and stranding the rest of them. A beautiful young doctor had managed to snare his thoughts but even that ray of sunshine had been eclipsed by the shadows of the unknown and the fear of not finding his brother. Their plan had crashed on the island about a month ago, splitting the passenger's into two camps. One camp had remained on shore while the other had fought its way out of the dense and dangerous interior. No radios, all supplies from the plane itself exhausted, and any hope of being rescued smothered had finally sunk in. If fighting against nature wasn't a big enough battle they now had the uncomfortable knowledge that they were not alone. A mysterious group of people still eluded them and now there was a Xingese swordsman to explain. Ed was drained from trying to rationalize their situation. Science and reason were failing him and it scared him more than he was ready to admit.

The humidity of the jungle was sweltering; Ed felt the sweat burn as it ran into his eyes. The thick moisture in the air amplified and trapped the heat around them. Mosquitos swarmed the two brothers as their sweaty bodies maneuvered through the thick brush. They were dirty from the journey and worse for the wear by the time spent on the island itself. He had been in low spirits himself, but time was dragging him under its weight and the light at the end of the tunnel was starting to fade in his mind.

Swearing against any sort of god, Ed grunted, heaving the dead weight farther onto his shoulder. "Damn it." He seethed through clenched teeth. He wasn't a weakling, but he could find a million and one reasons why this was not worth his time.

"Brother, I can help." Al offered as he sidestepped a large tree root.

"No." Ed snarled between breaths. "You're still recovering." He began to pick up the pace. "Can't have you hurt yourself over this idiot." He chanced a look down at the strange man's peaceful expression. "If I was smarter I'd have left him there to rot."

"Brother-" Al protested. "He's passed out; we couldn't just leave him out here."

"We could." He deadpanned. It was actually as simple as dropping his ass right then and there.

"And risk losing the first lead we've gotten in a long time?" His younger brother provoked him, calling him out on his bluff. "Is it worth it to risk losing a chance to get us off this island?"

Was it worth losing a chance to get them home? The weight of his promise to Winry and his brother, the promise of getting them home was heavier than the foreigner. Ed wasn't in the mood to agree so he settled for a steady stream of cursing and complaints before shouldering the dead weight again. "He better be worth it."

The walk back was far from pleasant as the two brothers silently warred with one another but at least they were alive, right? And yet no matter how lucky they were to even be alive he couldn't escape the tidal waves of regret and self-doubt that flooded him. It was an aching feeling, like a rough surface against smooth skin. He was exhausted of being wrong, tired of walking into dead ends and overwhelmed with the task before them. Silence on a long journey can bring on self-reflection, it was just a shame he didn't like what he saw. Had he done anything since they had crashed here that really counted? They were no closer to being rescued than the day they first arrived and the longer they stayed the farther away they seemed to get from going home. Selfishly he had chosen to follow a path that had led to nothing but trouble and now he was bringing back a piece of it. Might as well be walking around blind for the lot of good he had done so far.

A low rumbling sound jerked him from his spiteful musings. Looking around he watched for what sounded like the upset grumbling of a hungry stomach. "Al, you hearing that?"

When his brother didn't respond he dropped the swordsman unceremoniously to the ground to face his brother. "What, are you not talking to me now?"

Al shook his head looking concerned. "I heard you-" Al finally answered, his gaze holding steady to the man Ed had just dropped. "But that noise is coming from him."

The oriental man blinked up at the two of them his expression blank. Ed backed up, pushing Al out of the way. Fear of the unknown had caught them off guard once before but he made it a point to not repeat his mistakes.

"It's coming now." The man crumpled up, his already pale features turning ghostly white.

"Fuck." Ed lost it. "You do not get to turn into a freak _after_ I've dragged your ass all the way back here!" He barked at the man.

The swordsman held his stomach looking like he was in agony. "It's out of my control…please I need nutrients."

Ed threw up his hands, "You need food or you'll what? Turn into some kind of scary monster?" He demanded as the noise continued to grow.

The swordsmen pressed his lips together tightly before taking a slow dragging breath. "Worse…I could pass out."

In the realm of things he thought might be happening to this man passing out was the least of his concerns. Though he strongly wished for a baseball bat, or a well sized blunt object to bludgeon this man in the head with, knock some real sense into him.

"That's your stomach making those noises?" Al asked; eyes the sizes of saucers. "And I thought Ed was bad."

Ed was not in the mood for his brother's humor. "Talk. Who the hell are you?"

"A prince." The man responded after a moment, a shit eating grin briefly lighting up his face. "Weren't you listening?"

Ed slid the palm of his hand down his face. "Right." Swatting a particularly large bug from his arm he gave into his own exhaustion. "Come on your royal high-ass, you're coming with us."

The foreigner moaned. "I don't think I'm going anywhere..." His eyes rolled up into his head and as promised the swordsman slumped to the ground in a faint.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "Give me a break! Just one god damn break!"

Al threw him a dirty look, "Lets both carry him back, the sooner we get back the sooner we can figure all this out."

He might be acting a little melodramatic but his nerves were shot and his patience had never been in supply. Finally consenting he let Al at least carry his bag while he lugged the useless Xingese man.

The first thing to greet them when they arrived back at camp was a pair of vibrantly enraged blue eyes. She looked like a caged tiger pacing its cage and for a moment Ed wanted to tell her to join the party, he wasn't feeling all that pleased himself. Her mouth thinned into a straight line as she stared them down. It wasn't until she caught sight of the Xingese man that her expression faltered and she stumbled back a few steps.

Ed understood that dragging a foreign man from the forest would cause a bit of surprise but she didn't look surprised, she looked horrified in a way that made his fists clench. It was recognition on her face, a look that told him she had some kind of history with this guy and it wasn't good. He was right to think this swordsman matched her description of the man who had saved her.

Dropping the man to the ground Ed's suspicions were confirmed as he watched her suck in her lower lip, worrying it between her teeth. "You know him?" He asked slowly, wishing there wasn't a connection between the two.

She shook her head, words still absent from the conversation.

"Somehow I doubt that." He countered; irritated that she was being silent on the matter.

Winry kneeled down by the man's side, brushing his ponytail over his shoulder. "It's him, it has to be him." She answered in a shaky voice.

Ed waved her on with his hands ignoring the look she sent back his way.

"He was there when they came after me." She looked apprehensively at him, "He was the one who scared _it_ away."

"This?" He poked the guy on the ground with his toe in disbelief. "This weakling saved you from those things?" How could this pathetic man be on a higher level compared to those creatures? There had to be some kind of explanation because there was no way this squinty eyed creep was capable of defeating something that wasn't even entirely human.

"Yes Edward." Her eyes flashed. "So you can cut the sarcasm."

She could cut the crap herself, he wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. "Listen, do what you want with your savior, but I'm getting answers out of him first."

"I didn't say I wanted anything to do with him!" Winry retorted looking offended, "I'm just telling you I know what I saw and I saw him make the shadows go away."

"Guys…" Al looked between them, looking miserable. "Let's not fight."

Running a hand distractedly through his tangled hair he nodded his head in quiet agreement because he should know better than to waste what time they were given fighting the ones he cared about. Fighting just came second nature to him; it was his go to response.

The mood was pretty bleak by the time the man in question stirred. By now the camp was well aware of the additional body and while most had taken one look and carried on without another glance, there were still a few lingering around. Apparently people thought he might have something that could help them, but Ed knew just by looking at him what this stranger would probably contribute to them. It amounted to a whole lot of nothing. He had a clear understanding that this man was going to be about as helpful as the scraps of plane littering the shore.

"Moring sunshine." He greeted in a bland tone.

The Xingese man stretched, his chin quivering with the strength of his yawn. "Hmm…hungry."

"You'll get food once we get some answers." Ed laid out, his impatience and irritation taking the driver's seat. "You're lucky we didn't just leave you out there to rot."

"Lucky?" He grinned at Ed, "Luck has nothing to do with it." The man cricked his neck a few times before cracking his knuckles. "I'm well aware of what's out there and it's not coming for me."

Ed glared; hopefully this idiot really did know more about this place than they did because frankly he'd had enough of this pompous free loader. "Un huh and what makes you think you're the king around here?"

The young man answered with a wide grin, "King? In my country we prefer the term emperor; a better suited title for someone if you ask me." Looking bored the swordsman yawned widely. "I'm more interested in how you folks ended up crashed on this island; this place isn't exactly located on a map."

He contemplated this man, what sorts of motives were putting him in this position of obscure indifference? Deciding his answer wouldn't really change much he continued. "We crashed, meaning we had no control over where we landed." Ed deadpanned. "I think a better question is how did _you _get here?"

The Xingese man shifted, his gaze sliding over to Winry. "I was referring to the pretty lady."

Ed found himself a little perturbed by his admiring gaze and the way the simple act could grate on his nerves. "Why don't you stop avoiding the question?"

Settling into a position of comfort, the man laid his sword across his lap. "Not avoiding any questions, I just simply enjoy talking to a beautiful woman." He wagged his eyebrows before settling for a smirk. "It's not impertinent that I tell you everything, just what you need to know."

Winry made an impatient noise, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, what do you think we need to know?"

He grinned. "You need to know where it is we are exactly, am I correct?"

"Obviously." Ed supplied.

Pretending as if there hadn't been a thread of sarcasm the man continued. "I imagine a backwards place like Amestris can't count on such wide stores of knowledge, but in my country, there isn't a subject we haven't researched. This one in particular isn't as well known but there have been legends of an island with the secret to immortality. Seeing as this particular island has what we consider to be immortals, you can see exactly where my interests and investments stand."

"That still doesn't explain where the hell we are." Ed retorted feeling insulted by the nonchalant mannerisms of this man. It was the way he carried himself, that self-assured gait made him uneasy. This man couldn't be trusted, but in a world of questions unanswered it was easy to believe even the biggest of tales. "I could care less about some urban legends, we just want to get the hell out of here. I don't even care where we are, just tell us how you got here and we'll gladly take that way home."

"That's the thing," The man paused scratching his head for a second. "It's not that simple, we didn't find the island, it found us."

A silence stung the air, each of the listeners to his tale caught somewhere between unease and anger. There was a fine line between supernatural and crazy and Ed was leaning towards the latter. The island found them? Did he honestly believe that's what had happened to him? Even with the creatures they had come across, he didn't think an island had the power of free will or the ability to act upon it in such a way. Not really wanting an answer he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And how exactly did it find you?"

"I'd been sailing for two years with the maps of my people and still nothing. The ancient writings detailed the strange disappearance of another civilization and the great, immortal being that came bringing with him the gift of alchemy. It was said that he left with the souls of men to the island of immortality. But to answer your question, it wasn't until I stopped actively searching for this place that I crashed upon its shores."

"So you didn't land here, you crashed." Ed repeated feeling deflated.

"Technically, yes." The man replied with a grin. "And now immortality awaits me."

Winry scoffed, "If this is the island of immortality than why haven't you achieved it?"

Both of the men turned to look at Winry, watching as her arms folded across her chest, daring them to defy her.

For the first time he noticed a dark look flash across the man's face, as he broke eye contact. "I will have immortality."

Ed eyed the sword carefully catching sight of the sprinkling of rubies along the hilt. Was he really some kind of rich heir or had they discovered a simple pirate on a simple deserted island? But simple had never been a word in his vocabulary. "What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't, it's Ling Yao, youngest son of the Xingese emperor." He introduced in a rather flamboyant way, all previous darkness gone.

Ed laughed. "You don't say? I'm sorry we haven't introduced ourselves, I'm the Fuhrer, Winry over there is an assassin and Al is actually a faerie." He shook his head, "You can go and rot in the jungle you lying piece of-."

Winry put a hand on his arm as if to calm him back down. She turned her eyes toward Ling. "You know something you aren't telling us." She responded with a certain charm to her words.

Ed swallowed back his original annoyance with Winry because it was being eclipsed by the extreme attraction he felt watching her in that moment.

Ling leaned forward. "And what do you think I'm not telling you?"

"You know what those things are and how to get off this island, I just can't figure out why you won't tell us. Do you know how many innocent people have died here? That number is going to grow the longer we stay here."

He looked thoroughly unimpressed. "Where does it say I have to care about what happens to you?"

Ed saw the fury building in her eyes, it was oddly frightening and alluring at the same time. Winry wasn't someone to be trifled with, even if he had tried to do so before. "You fought that thing out there without even breaking a sweat and you've managed to stay alive. Now-"She stepped closer to him, her eyes flashing. "You are going to tell us how you did it…it's inhuman to stand by and do nothing while those around you die in vain."

Ling held onto the band around his waist, his fingertips ghosting over the hilt of his sword. "Seven of them in total, the leader makes eight."

"You don't think they are human?" Al interrupted.

The Xingese prince grinned like a smug toad. "They're immortal, that's all I need to know."

It might seem like he was stating the obvious but he felt like he was missing something. "So what purpose do you have with us? You wouldn't still be here and you wouldn't have saved Winry unless you wanted something from us in return."

Ling crossed his arms over his chest looking superior. "You do realize that if the immortals had wanted you dead they would have just done it. I think you and that girl have something they need, so I think I just might stick around long enough to find out."

Alphonse cleared his throat looking uncomfortable by the young man's words. "Hold on, can we back up to what you said before? You mentioned something about ancient writings here, on the island?"

The prince nodded his head in affirmation. "I've found a few sights with them, but only one with Xingese writing, the others are not of a language I recognize. It's something far older than Xing and that is rather remarkable."

The younger Elric shifted on his feet, his eyes wide with intrigue. "Could you show us?"

"I suppose I am in your debt for the food…" He made eyes at Winry, "I'd be happy to repay that debt with my body."

Winry glowered at him in disgust. "Just take us to the writings."

"You sure that's what you want?" He continued unperturbed.

Her nose wrinkled up at his suggestive tone. "Positive."

Ed frowned; not at all amused by this inept attempt at flirting with Winry. He had never been a fan of sharing and he wasn't about to start now.

It had been a long day and he was tired from the heat. Apparently Ling had made nice with some of the other people around camp and was charming them with what Ed couldn't possibly fathom. The chill of the night was settling in but he hadn't lit a fire, at least not yet. Alphonse was playing with Alexander the dog and Winry was braiding Elicia's hair. It was frustrating, irritating almost, that he couldn't seem to find a sense of normalcy. He watched them with a longing feeling; wondering how much longer they had before this false sense of safety security died.

Feeling older than his years he thought about the man who resembled his father, about those strange creatures and more importantly the idea of alchemy. Greed had told him he was as close to the truth as he was going to come without running head first into it. If he had a connection to this island, was it possible that these other passengers did too? Or were they just in the wrong place at the wrong time? He stared back at the ocean, if only they could just sail away. With a heavy sigh he finally opened his eyes and got to his feet, no use in getting lost in his head.

A pair of hands wound around from behind him, the fingers closing him into their embrace as a head leaned into his back. He turned in her embrace and grabbed her chin. "You shouldn't sneak up on people out here." He gently scolded her as his heart pumped wildly.

Winry's pretty face turned strangely sick as the corners of her mouth wound up into an unnatural smile. "I've _missed _you." Her voice hissed before her irises turned purple.

"AHHH!" Ed sat up, his fists clenched as he stared around the empty tent. Breathing heavily he looked over to see Winry blinking the sleep from her eyes as she too sat up. His younger brother was still sound asleep next to Alexander, the occasional snore escaping his parted lips.

He tried to mask the fear in his face but Winry was already up and at his side. The dream still fresh in his mind he stiffened at her touch. But she fought him into his embrace and he found the reality he was searching for. Pulling her to his chest he felt like a little child again as he asked her to stay with him. As much as he was determined to shoulder the weight of their pain he couldn't do it alone for much longer.

The next morning they got ready for their trek in silence. Winry never asked him what had caused his scream in the middle of the night and he wasn't sure it was necessary to tell her. She was safe for now and he didn't want to think of any other possibility.

From the looks of everyone he knew the idea of them leaving wasn't comforting. They were tired. The kind of tired that makes you despondent, the urge to get out of bed gone…though they could hardly call their makeshift sleeping arrangements the equivalent of a bed. At least they had managed to establish a few key things, one of them being health. A majority of the injuries from the accident itself had been taken care of and those in limbo had either passed away or had grown strong enough to stand on their own again. Their predicament would have been a hell of a lot worse without Winry's medical expertise. Alphonse was on the mend and Sidilla's baby grew more and more each day. It was survival mode and those who fantasized about being rescued were learning to cope.

The island no longer had a frightening unknown, only a hard earned knowledge of what it meant to face death and a learned behavior of avoiding it that had turned into habit. No one went into the woods alone, you didn't eat what couldn't be identified and you didn't trust anyone who hadn't been on the plane.

While they had informed most of the camp about the islands inhabitants it was harder to explain the presence of Kimbley or more recently a prince of Xing; though the pompous brat had certainly taken a liking to them.

No one was really surprised to find the so called prince still snoozing when they got ready to leave. Ed took joy in rousing him with a kick at his legs. "Let's go Ling."

The team consisted of himself, his brother, Winry, and Ling. They had thought about bringing along Mustang or even Hawkeye but the idea of leaving the rest of the survivors without leadership or protection didn't sit well with any of them. Alphonse had been the one to ask Winry if she should stay but both brothers were assured with a death glare that she was going with them.

They spent the first few minutes gathering supplies before saying their goodbyes. Ed chose to ignore the looks that followed them and the way goodbyes lingered as if final in their echoes.

Ling guided them down the southern coastline, slowly having them work their way along the exterior of the island. He had explained it to be about a day's walk but that the caves themselves wound deep into the interior of the island and could keep them occupied for days themselves. Ed shook off the anxiety that liked to travel with the unknown. If he could make sense of some of this islands history it just might explain what they were up against.

A large, winged bird of prey stalked them from the air as if it were waiting for one of them to fall and become its next meal. Their trek slowly began to grow more tiresome, the smooth terrain of sandy beaches giving way to steeper cliffs and juts of rock as the water cut further inland. His feet ached in his worn shoes, the material rubbing his skin raw and creating new sores to add to his plethora of old. But there was no way he was going to whine or complain, especially not when Mr. Arrogance himself was practically skipping through the rocks in his bare feet.

Al took the awkwardness out of their silence by falling in step with Ling and questioning him about Xing. Ed took the chance to really observe Winry. One of the girls had braided her hair in an intricate way that made her look like a surreal sort of native with her stained clothing and bronzed skin. Her once pale skin, much like his own, had long since burned, shed and was now adapting. Her hand shot up against her forehead shielding the sunlight from her gaze. As if sensing his eyes she smiled at him. "It's sort of beautiful isn't it?"

He took a look out at the sea of aqua and blue, the sight rather breathtaking. "Yeah, guess it's not too bad."

She looked at him, a sort of exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "If you are going to look at the glass half empty at least pretend it's full for me."

He held out his half drained bottle of water, "Would you like some water, I've got a bottle full."

Winry hit his arm, a grin keeping the corners of her lips turned up. "You know, they always prepare you for what to do when get stranded on deserted island, but no one tells you what to do if you're stuck there."

"Want to write a book with me on it when we get back home?"

She laughed, the sound easing the tension in his muscles. "Yeah, I think we could do a pretty good job."

Ling cleared his throat loudly from his stance on a ledge above them. "Let's go lovebirds I'm starting to get hungry."

They scaled the wall, the ledge hardly enough to put one foot in front of the other. No one questioned the risks and it seemed taboo to mention what could happen to them. Somehow danger and death were not the deterrents they once used to be.

He could feel the dirt under his nails as he clung to the moss covered rocks happy that so far they were doing alright. Occasionally he would hold out a hand for Winry or in most cases shoot one out for help himself. The only one really without need of help was Ling who had the footwork of a well-trained dancer. Ed pictured him in a tutu and found his minds humiliation of the Xingese man was enough to tide him over.

"There!" Ling called, his finger pointing at a break in the ridge above them.

Ed craned his neck back to catch a look into the opening. "Maybe it'll collapse and put us all out of our misery." He muttered under his breath.

Once the four of them were safely within the mouth of the cave he got a good look inside. Ling ventured ahead of them, already far enough in that Ed had to rely more on his hearing than sight to see him. He finally reemerged with a beaten torch in his grasp. Ling pulled something from his pocket, struck it against his sword with a spark that ignited the tip of the torch in an instant. It wasn't very bright but Ed was well aware it was better than nothing.

It was hard not to feel claustrophobic as they emerged themselves deep within the winding tunnel. He swallowed back the urge to bitch about something, anything. It was a default response to being in a situation that unnerved him.

Their labored breathing echoed along the narrowing corridors, the thick smell of moisture and earth filling their nostrils. He knew part of the odor was his own clothing which was now drenched in his sweat. Winry's fingers curled around his elbow, her eyes flashing up to the ceiling and back to him. He followed her gaze noting what looked like fingernail marks along the roof of the cave which was within arm's reach. Alphonse didn't notice and if Ling knew he was either very good at hiding it or was just as oblivious. There was nothing comforting in the abrupt jagged marks above their heads and especially not when they abruptly ended at the entrance to a chasm.

Ling stepped into the center of the room, his face smug as he turned around. "Well my western friends, I have upheld my end of this bargain."

Alphonse sucked in a deep breath, "Ed, look down."

It was huge, the largest he had ever seen. A picture made of circles and stars, planets and shapes, an array of a proportion he had never imagined. This wasn't a coincidence and it sure as hell wasn't just a cave drawing, his father had taught him at least that.

"It's alchemy." He mused aloud.

He followed the array around watching as lines merged diverged and scattered around in an infinite circle. Where had he seen this before? Tracing the lines with his fingers he closed his eyes and tried to remember.

"Alchemy?" Winry asked, "What is it for?"

Ed looked at the five points and felt his heart sink, his insides twist, it seemed on the tip of his tongue but he was still drawing a blank. "I wish I knew."

He was about to ask Al his opinion when he found the source of his brothers silence. The shadow from Lings flame was growing along with a set of white teeth. The Xingese man took a step back, his eyes growing large. "What…?"

The flame flickered as the teeth spread into a grin before the light went out completely.


End file.
